Tightening UK Dog Laws

I will straightaway admit I am not a great dog lover.  In fact I grew up petrified of dogs due to a phobia my Mother had, which was as a result of her being attacked when she was a small child.  That said, I can now be more comfortable around a number of dog breeds.   I accept that due to my own phobia, opinions which I have held in the past on the subject of dangerous dogs, could have been a little unbalanced.  I would have often said that certain breeds should not be allowed as pets, and instead belong in the zoo!

There is the counter argument that out of control dogs are purely down to how a dog is treated.  Only this week a woman from Atherton in Greater Manchester received a suspended prison sentence for animal cruelty, after her four dogs who had been kept close together in her home, killed a fourteen year old girl.  The Crown Prosecution Service had ruled a month earlier that there had been insufficient evidence to pursue a charge of manslaughter.

Whilst the incident in Greater Manchester could arguably support the view about how well dogs are treated, an incident in Northern Ireland this year saw an apparently well behaved Alaskan Malamute dog that was owned by a teacher, suddenly turn on a five year old pupil causing serious facial injuries.  This was on a day towards the end of the summer term when the teacher brought the dog in for an end of term treat for the children.

Stories of people being attacked by dogs do keep coming.  Only last month, an elderly gentleman got attacked by a Rottweiler (not on a lead) whilst out walking in St Leonards-On-Sea, Sussex.  Whilst there generally may be some substance in the argument that it all depends on how the dog is treated, how many more savage dog attacks do we need to hear about?  IT IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

There is legislation in the pipeline which will now make dog owners no longer immune from attacks which take place on their own property.  This is a matter in which Trade Unions representing postal, utility, and delivery staff have long campaigned for.  There has also been speculation that the intention of the planned legislation is to increase the maximum penalty for the owners of killer dogs to life imprisonment.  Will this go far enough?

I would personally argue for a new type of licensing system rather similar to the different categories of driving licence which are required for different sized vehicles.  Under the terms of such a licensing system, basic character checks would be sufficient to gain a licence for a person to own one dog, of a breed widely accepted to be a placid breed.  However to own more than one dog or a dog whose placidness is more debatable, the granting of a licence should require further tests to be satisfied before a higher category of licence is granted.  Such tests could in some circumstances require a demonstration of extensive dog handling skills.

I recognise that the cost of such a scheme could be prohibitive at this moment in time, and possibly another issue linked to this would be the costs that would need to be incurred by those people applying for such a higher grade dog ownership licence.  I recognise we are currently in an era of austerity, which will probably take us into the next decade.  However, when the public finances are in better shape, windows of opportunities will open for areas of spending that will presently not get a look in.  Should a case ever be successfully argued that a new dog licensing system is the way forward, THEN MAYBE NOW IS THE TIME TO ENGAGE IN THE DEBATE THAT LIES AHEAD!

Michael Gove, if only..

Recent events would appear to suggest that the UK Education Secretary, Michael Gove is a man with more enemies than your average Tory Politician!  It would seem his enemies expand beyond teachers towards a Children's Author and even the Church of England!  Is it any wonder a Michael Gove Vodoo Pincushion is on the market?  

Lets remember though that this is a man who wants re-sit exam results to be excluded from official league tables.  Even if such a move should eventually result in his discredited league tables being disbanded, the main concern must be that it undermines the efforts of so many good schools to give students the best chance in life.  It is important to remember that the best chance for a young student sometimes requires that student to be given as many opportunities as possible!

If the events of the last few weeks are anything to go by, it would appear that Gove can embrace controversy equally on educational matters as he can on matters of distasteful press coverage.  That said his defence of the Daily Mail over it's controversial coverage of Labour Party Leader Ed Milliband's late father's feelings towards Britain, could be motivated by self interest.  This is a self interest that is possibly explained by the fact that his spouse is of course a Daily Mail Columnist.

I spent Friday evening catching up with some friends.  Amongst these friends are a few teachers, all of whom at various social occasions have been particularly keen to express their views on the delightful Mr Gove!  One common theme that always comes up is his lack of willing to engage with the people who actually work in Education.  This theme is possibly backed up by recent speculation that Gove instead prefers to engage with those who say a child's educational performance is linked more to genetics than teaching!  This week's Cabinet re-shuffle also featured in our little catch up.  One casualty of the re-shuffle was Michael.  But sadly for my friends, the Michael in question was in fact Liberal Democrat Scottish Secretary, Michael Moore.  My friends would dearly have loved it to have been Mickey Morris Dancer!

In reality that was not likely to happen, and this brings me onto why I refer to Gove as "Mickey Morris Dancer".  A few days after the 2010 General Election, Mr Gove was being interviewed on a popular Sunday Morning Politics TV Programme against the backdrop of a Hung Parliament.  On being asked if he would give up his seat in Cabinet to facilitate a coalition deal between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, Gove answered that he would in a most decisive manner.  I felt at the time that should Mickey miss the cut for the ConDem Cabinet, then he would have been most grateful to be offered the post of Minister for Morris Dancers!  If only..

A Distinct Quebec Identity

One of the most curious political sagas in North America is the position of the largely French speaking Quebec Province within the Canadian Federation.  Quebecans narrowly voted against going it alone in a referendum nearly two decades ago.  But despite resisting Independence back then, the signs are there that Quebecans will never be completely at ease within the Canadian Confederation.  Even if Quebec continues to resist any temptation to completely break free from the rest of Canada, surely that distinctive identity needs to be recognised somehow.

Perhaps it is time for Quebecans to draw inspiration from across the North Atlantic at the United Kingdom.  There are now Devolved Assemblies or Parliaments in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  This is arguably very similar to the Parliaments in the Canadian Provinces.  However, the Nations of the United Kingdom do also enjoy elements of a distinct identity through sport.  On the one hand, the four nations do compete together in the Olympics as Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Scottish Tennis player Andy Murray does officially represent Great Britain.  But on the other hand the home nations do also compete individually across a number of sports.  

One of those sports is Football.  The British Home Nations are not the only examples of non-sovereign countries taking their place in FIFA, World Football's governing body.  The Faroe Islands have been FIFA members since 1988.  They are still officially part of the Danish realm, despite voluntarily reducing their subsidy from Denmark in recent years.  Despite ceasing to be a British Overseas Territory in 1997, Hong Kong still retains it's own National Football Team despite now being part of China.  

Of course, the best topical example of a non-sovereign country becoming part of the International Football Family is the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, who were formally accepted into UEFA (European Football's Governing Body) earlier this year.  Ironically, Gibraltar's accession into UEFA has been during a year in which Britain's ongoing dispute with Spain over the territory has been heated at times.

So back to Quebec.  If Quebec continues to stay within the Canadian Confederation, should the Quebecans become FIFA members?  As a football fan, I say why not!

Ullswater's Unique Beauty

With the exception of my native Merseyside, my favourite corner of England is the Lake District.  I would estimate that I have visited the Lakes nearly every year for over a decade now, even if it has been just for a short break.  In that period of time I have got to know the area reasonably well, and know most of the main roads in and around the Lake District National Park.  

The part of the English Lakes I regard as my favourite is Ullswater, which is the second largest lake.  For me it is the most beautiful, and what I find particularly appealing is the limited commercialisation.  The lake has two main villages on it's shores.  There is Pooley Bridge to the North, and Glenridding to the South West.  

If you love your walking, you will not be disappointed.  There are a range of walks available around the lake.  One small walk I have identified is from Glenridding to Lanty's Tarn.  As demonstrated by some of the shots below, some of the scenery can only be described as breathtaking.

Rather than take the walk straight back down to Glenridding, why not then take a small detour towards the path to Helvellyn?

And then you can find your way back into the Village via the Pub!

For those who like to relax there is always the option of the Ullswater Steamer boat which runs each day between Glenridding, Pooley Bridge, and the small hamlet of Howtown on the quieter eastern shore. 

Glenridding and Pooley Bridge are both nice villages with a good choice of pubs or hotel bars which are open to non-residents.  

If you do go on the Steamer, a small stop off at Howtown is a must.  On my most recent visit I briefly visited the Howtown Hotel, which gave me an experience I can only describe as timeless, serving a nice local beer from a hatch.

With views like this, what's keeping you from Ullswater?