Blog Title: Groves Media

MPs get censored, living on treasure island and green lines

A mid-week round up taking in rude MPs, the hunt for gold and creating green spaces: A Labour MP claims to have been stripped of some of his parliamentary allowance over his blogging activity. Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West (my former local MP), has caused a little consternation in parliamentary circles for his less than generous observation read more..

My mouse ate my homework

Kids say the funniest things, apparently. Pupils today have come up with a list of decidedly 21st century excuses for not delivering their homework on time. Excuses now involve technology, although it seems many still lack any kind of wit or imagination. They include: My computer crashed and I lost it I finished my homework but then I deleted read more..

Manic Christians, Google catches cold, crunched celebs and dead parrots

Its been a hell of a week in many respects (more on that soon), so here’s a mixed bag of a round-up to usher in the weekend: A poetry reading at a Cardiff bookshop was cancelled amid rumours that fundamentalist Christians were planning to stage a protest. “Are we living in Iran?” asked poet Patrick Jones, brother of read more..

Core skills still needed in the brave new world

Trainee journalists lack core skills such as news gathering and writing when entering the workplace. That is the headline grabbing conclusion of a new survey, with more than 70% of employers who took part in the research claiming increased focus on multimedia lessons as part of the curriculum means the basics are not being covered. I really read more..

The election aftermath

It is a new week and the new dawn is still exercising our minds. Barack Obama’s election to the US presidency is, without doubt, a significant moment and provides plenty of reason for hope. There is plenty to comment on, speculate about and analyse ahead of Mr Obama’s inauguration. And yet I am beginning to wonder whether the read more..

Email scams, creationism, drugs and puppies

An end-of-the-week round up after a fairly memorable seven days: I am struggling to understand why people do still fall for email scams, but according to one Midlands MP a large number of professionals are getting duped. Richard Taylor wants a new “Scam Awareness Day”, to be known as SAD (bad choice, I think), to educate people about read more..

Prince of the Gradual Incline

I’m some way off challenging for the title of King of the Mountains. For one thing, I’ve studiously avoided all mountains since getting my inappropriately named (in my case) mountain bike. (pic: RachelCreative) But today I headed into the Derbyshire Dales and specifically the Tissington Trail. Rather than spend all day on the sofa writing, I decided to start read more..

This is local news for local people

I admit I’m struggling with the debate surrounding the BBC’s £68m plans to dramatically increase its online coverage of local news. The proposal has, inevitably, met with criticism from regional newspaper groups who are unimpressed that the Beeb would use licence payers money to fund the significant expansion to a network of 65 local sites. Ofcom has read more..

A Vulcan, a Time Lord, a puppet and a cartoon

A round-up of myths and legends: I have both fingers and toes crossed that The Vulcan will get saved. A Cardiff landmark for 155 years, the pub opposite the city’s jail is being earmarked for demolition for that vital jewel in the crown of urban regeneration - a multi-storey car park. The bewery that owns The Vulcan, Brains, read more..

Is it clearer now…or now?

Thank heavens for blunt opticians. I am now fully aware that my eyesight has indeed diminished slightly in the last couple of years and is likely to worsen a lot more over the next five years. I know this because my optician today revealed the problem with my eyesight that I had suspected for a little while now - read more..