Thursday 23 October 2014

Old horror in Hackney shop

As halloween approaches I remembered this 'incredible, eye popping, horror extravaganza'. It was for sale in the Dalston - either in the St Vincent second hand shop or Oxfam in 2010 - I didn't buy it, it may still be haunting the shelves. 

Creationism banned from schools - will this affect Yesodey Hatorah?

I haven't posted anything for a long time because I moved out of Hackney.  I am not sure what to do with this blog, any thoughts?

Anyway, below is a story I saw in June that I thought might have some relevance to Yesodey Hatorah. I believe the school's curriculum has some unconventional faith-based characteristics.

'Creationism cannot be taught as a valid scientific theory in any free school or academy, the government has said': http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2014/06/18/secular-triumph-as-government-bans-creationism-from-free-sch

No doubt Rabbi Pinter could explain whether it is relevant - I haven't asked him.

Thursday 3 April 2014

BSix College head signs letter objecting to £45m Harris Academy in Westminster

The Independent has published a letter from the heads of London's 12 sixth form colleges.

The letter outlines the cuts faced by the colleges and then says: '..it is entirely unjust that £45m has been found to establish an institution that will educate less than a fifth of the number of students currently enrolled at some of the existing sixth form colleges in London.'

One of the signatories is, Ken Warman, Principal of BSix Brooke House Sixth Form College in Clapton.

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Six month hostage claim doesn't look so unlikely anymore...

Back in 2010 Blood and Property reported a case of a 67-year-old man claiming to have been held hostage in his flat for six months.

At the time the allegation appeared highly unlikely.

Whether or not the claim was ever true it doesn't sound so extraordinary after these cases:
a) September 2011 police raided a traveller site in Leighton Buzzard leading to a case described in court as the first ‘quasi-slavery trial in this country for over 200 years'.
b) November 2013 three women believed to have been held as slaves for 30 years.
c) January 2014 Sheffield family jailed over slave beatings 

The 2010 allegations in Hackney were thought to be a case of visitors refusing to leave a man's flat. The police charged the suspects for burglary, not for holding a man hostage but a statement from Hackney Police said: "The victim has been spoken to and does not wish the suspect to be arrested. A first instance harassment warning has been issued and if the suspect re-attends the address, then he may be arrested for harassment."