Whatever the reason for the UK riots, there is no excuse for them.  Being out of work is no excuse; wanting things one hasn’t got is no excuse  – welfare benefits are certainly not generous, but no one is starving. Even the poorest parts of London are not comparable to drought-ridden parts of Africa.

Whilst the local vigilante groups that have formed are admirable in many ways, care has to be taken that they don’t get overtaken by the looney far-right, because if this whole sorry episode is turned into a racial battle,  there will be far more destruction, blood and carnage on the streets than anything that has already been seen, and community relationships remain fractured for years afterwards.

London, Manchester and The West Midlands is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Do you write or contribute to a blog about your local area? Do you read an excellent local website? We want to hear from you. At the end of this post is a list of some of the brilliant local sites we already follow to help keep our virtual eyes and ears open Londonwide but there are swathes of the capital missing from our radar. Who’s got Camden, Canary Wharf or Croydon covered? What about out west?

Head over to Londonist to read more

London Bloggers Wanted is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Over the three days of the festival, in October, they are providing over seventy five individual events, each crammed with insight, information and inspiration for professional writers. Broadly, about 25% of sessions are aimed at emerging talent, the remaining targeted at established writers.

Read more at their web site

London Screenwriters Festival is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

London free cycle hire began on 30 July 2010. Officially known as Barclays Cycle Hire, the scheme is a city-wide programme for free bike rental in central London.

London free cycle hire is similar to programs in other cities, most notably Velib’ in Paris.

Check out Visiting UK for more information

Free Cycle Hire in London is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

London isn’t exactly the cheapest capital city in the world, but there are a number of places you can go that are inexpensive, and a number of ways that you can save money going to some of the places that even aren’t.

Sometimes all it takes is a little advance research. Of course, this doesn’t just apply to London, but most places where tourists go. Heck this guide is even useful for Londoners, some of whom may never have been to some of these places, because of the cost.

Read more about them over at The Daily Mirror

London For Less is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

To be more accurate, free bacon rolls for twenty-four hours at one of London’s oldest 24 hour cafes.

If the queues don’t turn out to be a nightmare, this might prove an excellent opportunity to grab-n-go a quick bite without even having to reach in your pocket to pay.

Check out more details at Londonist

Free Bacon! is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

Do you like coffee?

You do?

Do you like almost free coffee even better?

You do?

Are you in London, England?

There’s a new idea from Duracell, that will cost you the price of a text message.

Check out this article from Young and Poor London, and find out where you can get your free coffee.

Free Coffee! is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

The United Kingdom’s last estuary paddle steamer, the Medway Queen, is preparing for a historic return to Medway thanks to European funding secured by Medway Council.

The Medway Queen restoration project, led by the Medway Queen Preservation Society and supported by Medway Council, will see the ship return to the waters of the River Medway next year.

This is really good news for those who remember how this ship, was at one time forgotten and neglected.

PS Medway Queen is the last estuary pleasure paddle steamer in the UK.

She was built in 1924 on the Clyde.

Used as a pleasure craft until she was commissioned as a minesweeper during World War Two, she became well known as one of the ‘little ship’ and she rescued around 7,000 men from the beaches of Dunkirk in seven crossings.

After World War Two she returned to being a pleasure steamer on the River Thames and Medway, until she was decommissioned in 1963.

For many years she was threatened with the scrap yard, and then used a a nightclub on The River Medina in the Isle Of Wight, until being rescued, and now, being restored in a Bristol Shipyard. She will soon return to Medway for more restoration work.

Read more at this Medway Council Press Release

Historic ship is set to return to Medway is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

A man was stabbed to death while chasing thieves who had snatched a woman’s handbag in east London.

Sukhwinder Singh was attacked while pursuing two men who mugged a 28-year-old woman near Barking station in east London on Friday night.

Read more here

This Green & Pleasant Land is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog

A MOTORIST has been shot in a road rage incident in Alkham, in Kent, in south east England.

Two drivers were involved in an altercation in Alkham Valley Road at 10pm on Monday which resulted in the 31-year-old victim being shot in the stomach.

The man, from Folkestone, was taken to William Harvey Hospital in Ashford. He is said to be in a stable condition.

Alkham Valley Road was closed overnight and reopened at 1pm on Tuesday.

The second man, believed to have been traveling alone and driving a light colored car, drove off in the direction of Dover.

Officers do not believe the two men knew each other and are appealing for any witnesses or anyone with any information to come forward.

This Green And Pleasant Land is a post from: The Eye An Eyebeemania Blog