Nottingham is the UK's least car-dependent city, according to a study of 19 of 'em (cities, not cars).  Steal cars from the rich and give public transport to the poor! 

In tradition news, the HCA report that Sheffield Council are actually taking steps to do something about metal trade skills.  Let's hope they take it further than just doing an audit and popping it in a filing cabinet.  

There's also a rather good Guardian forum going on how green it is to live in a canal boat.  Apparently size/space issues mean boat dwellers have to become more aware of their resource usage, but the big black mark against them is that they're apparently bloody freezing in winter and nigh impossible to insulate.  Sounds like a caravan in water, then.  

Charlie Peer, who I've just added to my RSS reader, has an article from a few weeks back now about Sarehold water mill at Brum, which was Tolkien's childhood home.  I'm a sucker for a bit of mill restoration.   

On to suckers of another sort ... Phil Woolas, not just a name to try and say 10 times really fast, but former immigration minister and the sort of all-round nice guy one would expect to go with the role, is in the muck for possibly pretending he'd had death threats to evidently try and win the racist vote in Oldham.  He denies it, of course. 

Speaking of the election, do enjoy this photograph of Jacqui Smith looking lonely in Redditch.  Official election artist (yes, it exists) Simon Roberts has an exhibition opening. 

Here is an article/takedown from Simon Jenkins about another former Labour politican who shan't be named but might have a big wodge of book out.  And wodges of money. 

The Real IRA, not to be confused with the IRA, are promising to target English banks.  However, seeing as they have a vast membership of about 100, best not take the marshmallows down to your nearest Barclay's just yet. 

The TUC actually do have a vast membership, and deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady wants a big campaign.  Which is a bit better than the last union idea about having someone dress up as Batman.    

Women biships and the CofE watchers will find literally hours of edification in Jonathan Clatworthy's history of conservative Anglo-Catholicism and the Church Catholic (or Catholick if you like it 1662). 

James Davidson's article in the LRB is ostensibly about Greek first names, but the first half is a rather delightful look at the past couple of centuries of naming in Britain.  I'm quite keen on "Unless-Jesus-Christ-Had-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned Barbon". 

That was a long one ... some links aren't quite as freshly squeezed as I'd like, I've got a lot of catching up with RSS to do!