RIP Remploy- Does this make sense?

Yesterday it was announced up to two-thirds of the sheltered workplaces operated by Remploy -a non for profit organization in the UK - the result of a change in Government policy regarding money used for helping disabled people of working age.
The Minister said by using this money instead to help secure employment by the majority of disabled people this was a better use of taxpayers money.
It is true that a majority of disabled people are out of work often through employer prejudice, limited opportunities as well as being virtually impossible to place in gainful employment.
What this new policy does effect however are that portion who do not have relatively minor physical disabilities alone but those who may also have emotional, sight, behavioural and others where it may not just a question of getting them in the building but of requiring considerable long term support and not just work related support. It may mean helping them to find groups to socialize with or organizing collective activities where they will be amongst friends and understood.
All to often the emotional impact of being disabled being both unable to do things and misunderstood by others is underestimated.
There was and I believe still is a fashionable view held that "All disabled people want to be out in the community" and not to have special facilities calling them 'patronizing' and while I'm pro-independence, it is a sad fact that some simply could not exist in mainstream employment isolated from like minded people.
I think it is also worth saying government policy hasn't just been with this kind of provision as for as long as I can recall personally, money had been available for transport to work for those unable to drive through their disability to a job and say unable to use public transportation, providing extra equipment to help a person in post and so on.
It's also been the case for at least 15 years of my knowledge this has been cut back just as the cry from the political right about "workshy disabled people" has been mounting.
I suspect it's to paper over these cracks the grant to Remploy is to be cut leading to these closures that will undeniably hit those least about to find alternative work.

33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee

They're no more sadly with yesterdays sad news of Davy Jones death aged 66 in his sleep.

Davy was a British child actor who was picked as were most of the America 60's group The Monkees for their ability to act and look the part of a struggling pop group for the NBC TV series of the same name than their musical ability.

No one would say that lyrically and artistically they could be put at the same level as say the Beatles, Stones, Kinks or Beach Boys however if anything personified the fun, can-do feel of the era it was them.

Thank you Davy Jones (1954-2012) for being part of my and countless others lives. R.I.P

Davy Jones (above)

The Monkees

Trends Spring 2012

If you were to believe the fashion writers the world is going zest yellow and mint this season which is fine but let's be honest here it doesn't suit all of us and I know personally speaking I look dreadful in yellow.

One thing in at Topshop did take my eye though and it's this striped mint sleeveless dress. There's a lot of kitten in that I just adore.

Staying with mint Littlewoods.com do a Prom dress and Court shoes can be had at Zara.com

London fashion week

Well the week has started with the first shows having taken place Monday and yesterday as well as a visit to No10 to help publicize this important money spinner for the UK economy.

The colourful products shown on the picture above are by the designer Meadham Kirchoff as exhibited yesterday but apart from the motif on the red one to the far left what stuck me about the models was the accessories such as those beads.

The really define the shoulders on the model and in conjunction with the alternating colours on the eyebrows pulls the attention back on the face.

Classical additions

It's a very long time ago actually it would of been in my late teens actually that I first heard anything by Bruckner as his music wasn't what I'd call programmed at school in the way that say Dvorak was.
I bought a few lps on the old Vox/Turnabout label that Decca distributed at the time but when in the late 80's I was moving after a period mixing tape with lps to cd exclusively this discs left my house.
I had been on the look out for an affordable set of his symphonies for some time and following some discussion on a forum, I thought I'd look this set up.
Recorded around the late 1970's/Early 80's for RCA this set met the bill with very few reservations by music critics to each performance by the Koln National Radio Orchestra in Germany by Wand who is one the best interpreters of Bruckner ever.
The discs and there are 9 come in card sleeves but unfortunately no notes so you'll have pull a book of the shelf or visit Wikipedia for some ideas about what was written when encased in a cardboard box which has the disc breakdown on the reverse.
Having played a few I feel this is a great starter set allowing you to hear without too much idiosyncratic ways what Bruckner could hear and is very well recorded with realistic acoustics.

Save Model Sanctuary

Recently Jade Parfitt, pictured called for the Model Sanctuary a respite centre set up in 2008 to provide advice and access to nutritionists and psychologists during the London Fashion week to be saved following a unaffordable hike in their rent costs.

During this week many teen models mainly aged 16 through 18 years work and the centre provides support as many are away from home for the first time without their parents, often work long hours 18-19 hours isn't uncommon and can come under considerable pressure to stay thin (sometimes borderline anorexic). The centre also provides massages that help ease the stress or even provide a space to get some undisturbed peace and maybe a cat nap.

The call is the industry itself to stump up a contribution to keep it open and I hope they are successful.

Daytona Demon

Okay more from the 8 track era when everything faded down, clunked and faded back up, you played on your Space Hopper while space exploration was always in the news.

For some of us there was nothing hotter than a foxy rock chick clad in leather bike jackets and tight leather pants who sure could belt out rock songs with catchy choruses aided by the writing team who wrote for Mud (Carlshalton's finest!) and Sweet that included Mike Chapman who later produced the Knack and Blondie.

Yes, I's referring to the one and only Suzy Quatro, extracted from a Detroit all girls group, dropped in London, England and coached by the late Mickey Most to fit the UK's so-called 'Glam Rock' scene back then.

There have been many compilations issued over the years, the best on record is Greatest hits (EMI/RAK EMTV 24) but like quite few artists many of her cds have been subject to having the average volume jacked up but I recently picked up this one.

Entitled "The Wild One" this issued in 1990 just missed that stage in cd mastering and contains all her UK hits such as Can The Can, Devil Gate Drive which was a UK #1, the blaad If You Can't Give Me love and the #11 from 1979 She's In Love With You.

Recommended pop pickers.

It also was a cosmic groovy era and there is no finer example of it than the much missed Marc Bolan whose influence can be clearly heard on Transvision Vamp albums and he was massive.

When I say massive I mean in the UK at least he was only second to David Bowie for teen interest and sales.

One of his finest albums and one I feel everyone needs to hear is Electric Warrior, home of three major singles Get It On (later covered by Power Station), Lifes a Gas and Jeepster which I had the British 45 of back in '71 playing the life out it.

I eventually bought the Fly UK lp version and it has been issued on cd numerous times but unfortunately the people who own the UK rights seem to like that Loud Sound that even affected the 30th anniversary edition with work in progress bonus tracks.

Fortunately Rhino in the States have re-issued a early more dynamic cd version in their Flashback series catalogue number R2 6466 this month which while being from a exact 1 to 1 copy of the British master tape does sound extremely good being preferable to all current versions.