An imaginative spin on the result from Darlington Conservatives, who lost over half their support in the ward and drew level with the Lib Dems in second place...

Yep - feels like you're there to have fun rather than be rinsed for every last penny.

Europa Park is excellent, also Efteling in the Netherlands (and both refreshingly light on commercial up-selling for those used to Disney or Alton Towers!)

Great... but even big increase in social housing funding won't be enough and in the meantime the LHA freeze will carry on as a machine for generating homelessness

Minister's response to critics of LHA freeze is weak at best:
'The root of this problem is not housing allowance, it is the private rented sector. If we want to move forward... we have to get to the root cause, and that means building more homes and making sure people have got sustainable incomes'

And November...

All four were good, but The Safekeep was excellent. Someone even stopped me on the train while I was reading to say 'It's really good, isn't it?' - that kind of book.

Bit behind on my reading wrap-ups.

This was October. Lots of good stuff, but Jenny Erpenbeck 🤩

Image credit: Centre for Homelessness Impact / Jeff Hubbard. Dean has been living in temporary accommodation in Swansea for five months after experience of homelessness and challenges with substance use. He’s now moving on to an abstinence housing project after working extremely hard at his recovery

We are particularly interested in candidates with front-line experience supporting people at risk of homelessness or working in allied fields. The deadline is 12th January. Apply here and please do share/be in touch if you have any questions. enzj.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Something's needed Sunderland - Houghton - Durham. It's ridiculous it takes an hour on a bus between the two cities. Could also offer quicker links from Sunderland to the south if you could change at Durham rather than Newcastle.

There were plans in the late 70s for a Metro extension to Doxford Park in Sunderland, using the waggonway up Eden Vale, through Barnes and past Farringdon. That would have created an interchange for buses from Houghton and Durham, and, I guess, potential to extend to Durham in time.

There are sadly worse dog whistles than this being done for Labour backbenchers. Step forward Darlington Conservatives :-/