Daily Archives: Saturday, November 29, 2014

  • Turnip Prize shortlist announced

    Steve WoodsMedia, Oddities

    The Cheddar Valley Gazette has announced the shortlist for this year’s Turnip Prize.

    toy sheep in a cardboard tray labelled ewe-kip
    Ewe-Kip, one of the works on the Turnip Prize shortlist

    This annual award goes to the person who has created something they perceive to be rubbish art.

    The shortlisted works for this year’s award are: Ewe-Kip by Drunken Shepherd; Gogglebox by Abby; Pensive by Leafy; Stick another Shrimp on the Barbie by Aunt Sponge; Ginger Nut by Trees R Green and Breast in Plant by Mike Atkinson.

    The Western Daily Press has a gallery of all the shortlisted entries.

    The presentation of this year’s Turnip Prize will take place at 6.30pm on Monday 1st December at The New Inn, Combe Batch, Wedmore, Somerset.

  • Skip Bins of Easton – the extended version

    Steve WoodsBristol, Politics

    An extended version of the original Skip Bins of Easton was produced for screening at last Monday’s Tidy BS5 Residents’ Rubbish Summit (posts passim).

    The summit itself was attended by 26 residents plus 2 local councillors, Marg Hickman and Hibaq Jama, as well as the city council’s neighbourhood manager, Kurt James. Some very clear messages came out of the summit about (the lack of) enforcement and the abuse and unpopularity of the area’s communal bins (aka skip bins. Ed.).

    group photo of residents at Tidybs5 meeting
    Residents spell out their message at the TidyBS5 summit

    Another message that came out clearly was highlighted by Councillor Jama. She’s challenged council officers about the substandard level of service received by the residents of BS5 (principally Easton, Lawrence Hill and Barton Hill) and BS2 (principally St Pauls and St Werburghs). She related that officers use the mantra “It’s the inner city” as an excuse for their lack of action. The meeting also gave a clear message that this attitude is also not acceptable.

  • Takeaway turns up heat on fly-tippers

    Steve WoodsBristol

    Chinese takeaway Sun Hing on Stapleton Road must have had some trouble with fly-tippers in the past.

    As a commercial outlet, the takeaway is required by the council to have – and pay for – its own contract with a waste disposal service.

    If one has paid for a service, then one evidently doesn’t want others (ab)using it for free.

    The sign below has recently appeared above Sun Hing’s bins in Newton Street.

    photo of bins and sign outside Sun Hing takeway on Stapleton Road

    There actually is a CCTV camera covering the bins, but it is out of shot.

    Hat tip: Hannah Crudgington.

  • China testing free WiFi on trains

    Steve WoodsTech

    Passengers on board Train No. T809 from Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, to Hum Hong station in Kowloon (Hong Kong) enjoyed free wireless internet access for the first time yesterday (Friday), according to ChinaDaily Europe, marking the inauguration of the first WiFi access service on the Chinese railway network.

    image of train providing Guangzhou-Kowloon service
    One of the trains serving the Guanzhou-Kowloon route

    The other 23 trains serving the route will also be fitted with the equipment to provide the service soon. After installation there will be a trial service period of three months before the service is launched officially.

    The equipment on the train is able to provide WiFi for up to 1,000 passengers at a time.

    It is not known whether there will be a charge for the service once it is officially launched.