A wonderful evening was had last week admiring jewellery, clothes and ornaments designed by: Lily Cole, Laura Bailey, Alexa Chung among many others. See the blog about it here
ECO SHOP EVENING WITH LIVIA FIRTH
Category Archives: photos
Jo Johnson is the Candidate for Orpington
Boris’s brother has just won the selection to stand in the safe Conservative seat of Orpington where the current MP, John Horam, is standing down.
Stanley, his father, recently described him as “taller and blonder than Boris” and he is the Financial Times’ South Asia bureau chief. Based in New Delhi since January 2005, he leads the team of FT journalists that covers India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. In addition to his coverage for the print edition, he writes a regular online column, Engaging India.
A graduate of Balliol College, Oxford, from which he received a first class degree in Modern History, he has worked for the FT since 1997. His first job on the newspaper was on the Lex Column, which he joined after a a stint as a corporate financier in the investment banking division of Deutsche Bank.
He completed an MBA at INSEAD in 2000 and served as an FT Paris correspondent from 2001-2004. He is co-author, with Martine Orange, of The Man who Tried to Buy the World: Jean-Marie Messier and the Rise and Fall of Vivendi Universal (Penguin, 2003).
Many congratulations Jo and we look forward to hearing more about you in the coming months ahead.
What David Cameron can learn from Boris
To follow is the recent article in The Spectator I know many of you will find of interest and relevance.
Althоugh mоѕt оf my mоtоrсусlе crashes оссurrеd ѕkуlаrkіng around on lіttlе trail bіkеѕ іn grаѕѕу раddосkѕ as a tееn, thеrе hаvе been thrее mаjоr сrаѕhеѕ in my lоng career.
Charley Boorman was only jоkіng whеn he tоld a group аbоut tо head оff on a Compass Exреdіtіоnѕ outback trір that “if you’re not сrаѕhіng уоu аrе nоt trуіng hard еnоugh”. It made mе realise that mоѕt of mу motorcycle сrаѕhеѕ have bееn саuѕеd bу trying tоо hаrd or rіdіng outside mу tаlеntѕ аnd аbіlіtіеѕ.
If уоu don’t lеаrn anything frоm сrаѕhіng, уоu are bоund tо mаkе the ѕаmе mіѕtаkеѕ аgаіn. Nоt that I advocate сrаѕhіng іn оrdеr tо learn, but уоu саn uѕе thе аdvісе frоm others whо hаvе crashed to teach уоurѕеlf nоt tо сrаѕh
Nеvеr rіdе tired
I hаd been оut саrvіng through some ѕаndу, lоаmу trаіlѕ nеаr home оn a Hоndа XR650 and was headed home, ԛuіtе fаtіguеd. Suddеnlу I ѕаw a trаіl off tо the lеft thаt I hаdn’t еxрlоrеd аnd аlthоugh I tоld mуѕеlf I wаѕ еxhаuѕtеd, I thоught I’d gо аnd investigate. Aftеr a ѕmаll jumр, I lаndеd іn some sand and thе frоnt tucked. Rather than gassing іt, ѕtаmріng my fооt down and рrосееdіng, I juѕt gave up аnd dropped thе bіkе, ѕtерріng сlеаr. Hоwеvеr, I dіdn’t put іn еnоugh еffоrt and my fооt gоt trарреd. I brоkе аlmоѕt every bone іn that fооt dеѕріtе wearing decent MX boots. Lеѕѕоn learnt. Nеvеr rіdе tired. Knоw when you hаvе hаd enough and gо hоmе.
Both hаndѕ оn thе bаrѕ
While іt is lеgаl tо rіdе wіth only оnе hand, іt mаkеѕ thе bіkе ԛuіtе unѕtаblе and іf уоu ѕuddеnlу hit a pothole оr a ѕеrіеѕ оf соrrugаtіоnѕ, the bіkе mау go іntо a tаnk ѕlарреr. I wаѕ ѕtаndіng uр оn a Trіumрh Tіgеr 800XC, rіdіng аlоng a dirt road аt аbоut 70km/h when I felt thе urgе tо ѕсrаtсh mу сhіn. Inѕtеаd оf slowing dоwn, ѕіttіng down аnd then ѕсrаtсhіng, I rеmоvеd mу left hand from thе bars juѕt аѕ I hit a series оf small potholes. They wеrе enough to ѕеnd thе bіkе іntо a tank ѕlарреr whісh dumреd mе оn my backside. Not a bаd crash, but then thе rіdеr bеhіnd ran оvеr thе top оf mе. Lesson learnt іѕ tо ѕtор or ѕlоw bеfоrе tаkіng a hаnd off the bars.
If people whо hаvе crashed соntіnuе tо blame ѕоmеоnе еlѕе fоr thеіr сrаѕh, thеу wіll nеvеr lеаrn and уоu wоn’t learn аnуthіng from them, еіthеr. Suck іt uр аnd tаkе аt least some of thе blаmе. Evеn if ѕоmеоnе turnѕ right оut іn frоnt оf уоu, ѕоmе оf thе blаmе muѕt be apportioned to уоu. Did уоu wаіt untіl уоu ѕаw the whіtе’ѕ оf thе mоtоrіѕt’ѕ еуеѕ? Dіd уоu slow dоwn? Did you рlаn an еxіt ѕtrаtеgу іf thеу ѕuddеnlу саmе out іn front оf уоu? Even thе rider іn the vіdео аbоvе аdmіtѕ he should hаvе lаnе ѕрlіt.
For a fuller version of this article read The Spectator
Stanley Johnson at the Windsor Festival 09
Stanley was marvellous giving a talk about his latest book Stanley I Presume and made the audience literally cry with laughter. Thanks for a great time Stanley!
Photograph thanks to Doug Harding at Kaptured Moments International
http://www.kapturedmoments.co.uk/
Stanley Johnson Quiz – Windsor Festival 2009
MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FANTASTIC WINNER! Well done Wayne from Hertford for his brilliant entry – here are the answers in full:
ANSWERS TO STANLEY JOHNSON & FAMILY QUIZ
1) What is Stanley Johnson’s greatest political achievement?
A. He was MEP for the Isle of Wight.
2) What is the name and nationality of Stanley’s grandfather?
A. Ali Kemal Bey, Turkish journalist.
3) When asked what was the source of the Johnson family’s sense of humour, what did Stanley reply?
A. b) Their blond hair.
4) What long established tradition was Rachel Johnson responsible for abolishing when she was at Ashdown School?
A. Corporal punishment. Rachel was discovered having a midnight feast and was given the option of losing two half holidays or being beaten. She chose the beating. The Head, realising he could not beat a girl, abolished the punishment for the whole school.
5) From this list of famous people: Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Benjamin Disraeli, William Wilberforce and Pericles, select the hero of : a) Stanley Johnson b) Boris Johnson.
A. Stanley’s hero is Winston Churchill. Boris’s hero is Pericles.
6) What sport do Stanley and Boris play together?
A. Squash. (They also play tennis).
7) What literary award did Rachel Johnson win?
A. The annual Literary Review’s Bad Sex in Fiction Award for Shire Hell . See the report here .
8) From this list of famous films, select the favourite of (a) Stanley and (b) Boris.
A. (a) Stanley’s favourite film is “Chariots of Fire”. (b) Boris’s favourite film is “Jaws” and this has given rise to one of his most hilarious jokes. When first running for Mayor of London, Boris declared that another of his heroes was the Mayor of Amity.
9) Stanley Johnson has always firmly believed in the value of a classical education. Could you therefore give an example of praeteritio, using Boris Johnson’s speeches on the website http://boris-johnson.com/ as evidence.
A. “…Praeteritio is a common tool of persuasive speech. A skilled practitioner can ruin an opponent’s reputation while seeming reluctant to do so…”
Praeteritio is a form of irony. It means saying one thing, but meaning another.
A fuller explanation of the term is given in the link below.
http://www.tocquevillian.com/articles/0008.html
Articles by Boris that make use of praeteritio are “MPs’ expenses” “Ayatollah Khomeini” and “Simon Heffer” amongst others.
10) How did Boris Johnson come to be called Boris?
A. Boris is named after Boris Litwin, a White Russian whom Stanley and Charlotte Johnson met in Mexico City. Boris Litwin gave the Johnsons two first class tickets to New York, so that Charlotte, who was 8 months pregnant, could avoid a long and uncomfortable bus journey. In gratitude, Stanley named his first born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
*You can meet Stanley Johnson at the Windsor Festival on Friday 2nd October when he is giving a talk and signing books*
Boris at G20 Reception
Boris at G20 Buckingham Palace Reception last night
Supporting the village shop – update
This afternoon, Boris stopped in Checkendon, in his Henley constituency, to inaugurate the combined village shop and Post Office which was taken over by Bal Budesha in 2007. Despite the biting wind and the hour of the day, over 70 local people of all ages turned out for the occasion. After cutting the inaugural ribbon and viewing the wide range of local, organic and staple, everyday produce in the shop that, like so many others around the country, also fulfils functions as the surgery transport waiting room, newsagent, information centre and more besides.
Some of the children presented Boris with some excellent ‘Save our Post Office’ posters for his office and Boris selected Isobel Willis’s well-written defence of the shop as the one to read to the assembled crowd. Boris then gave a short speech recognising the vital role of post offices and shops in communities such as this.
Jane Barker of the Oxfordshire Rural Community Council presented Bal with its Best Independent Retailer award before Boris moved on to a meeting with various local officials.
February 07, 2007 Update
Much to the delight of all, the post office and shop has been reprieved. Thank you, Boris, for your support.
Boris Johnson MP: Lets Make CHANT (Community Hospitals) Rally a Success
Supporters of community hospitals from around the country are today attending the first National Community Hospitals Rally in London. Despite welcome recognition of the importance of the services provided by community hospitals in the recent Health White Paper, cuts and closures are continuing. Follow oceannenvironment for more updates.
Over 300,000 people have already signed local petitions supporting their community hospitals and delegations from across England will be in attendance. The rally will be addressed by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of CHANT, Graham Stuart and Boris Johnson MP, by Andrew Lansley, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, and by Steve Webb, the Liberal Democrat Health spokesman. Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Health, has also been invited to speak.
Commenting on the Rally, Boris Johnson MP said:
‘I am delighted so many people seem prepared to travel from all around the country to come to this event. Despite recent reassurances in the Health White Paper, many communities are seeing their local hospitals being wound down or closed – this Rally is proof that this is not what people want.
I only hope that when Patricia Hewitt glances out her window in the Commons and catches sight of the assembled throng that she take to heart their message, that these community hospitals are an absolutely vital and valued local resource and must not be closed merely in response to some end of year budgetary crunch. I will in addition keep my fingers firmly crossed the sun continues to shine!’
ENS
Notes to Editors:
CHANT is holding a national rally outside Parliament on March 28th from 1pm to 2pm to highlight the continued threat to more than 80 community hospitals and demand that action is taken by the Government.
CHANT is a cross-party group campaigning for community hospitals. It has Labour, Liberal Democrat, Independent and Conservative MPs and Peers as Patrons. Further information about CHANT, including details of the national rally to be held in London on March 28th, can be found on the CHANT website:
www.chantonline.com
email@chantonline.com
200 students back Boris for rector’s role
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MORE than 200 students have nominated Boris Johnson for the role of rector at Edinburgh University.
The Tory frontbencher has received more nominations than the number of votes most candidates won in the last rectorial election three years ago, and five times the 40 necessary to be a candidate.
Local Community Hospitals
16 November 2005
Boris Johnson MP steps up campaign to save local Community Hospitals
Boris Johnson MP, attending yesterdays Westminster launch of the Community Hospitals Acting Nationally Together (CHANT) group , denounced the Government’s failure to investigate and halt what now appears to be a nationwide programme of community hospital closures. As Vice-Chairman of the group, Boris Johnson MP called on all those present to work together, along cross-party lines, to co-ordinate efforts at a national level to better fight the closure of community hospitals throughout the country.
At a meeting held beforehand and chaired by the Shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley MP, to discuss the problems facing community hospitals, Boris Johnson MP lambasted the current lack of accountability of regional ‘health quangocrats’ to the needs and views of local people:
‘It is utterly infamous that the views of local communities are being ignored. In almost all these cases the move towards care in the community is being driven not by best practice or clinical need but by the desire to balance the books and write down Primary Care and Strategic Health Authority deficits. Community hospitals are at the front line of these cost cutting drives despite the fact they play a vital intermediate care and step-down role. Local people want them, District Hospitals need them, yet nationwide over 80 of these community hospitals are being threatened with closure. Worse, no-one is taking any responsibility for these decisions. Government passes the buck to the Health Authorities who in turn pass it to the Primary Care Trusts who then pass it right back to the Government. At the end of the day though, the Government appointed these unelected quangocrats to their posts and the Government must now explain their actions’.