Gustavo Dudamel and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

I saw Dudamel last night at the Usher Hall, and it was brilliant.

I am going to write a bit more about the music I have seen in this year's festival, but if you are going to the Proms tonight, it should be - well, equally brilliant.

And if you aren't going to the Proms tonight (and let's face it, it must have sold out about three months ago) - listen to the concert on Radio 3!!!

One downside: they are not playing Appalachian Spring tonight, which was absolutely superb last night - it was very moving.

Gustavo Dudamel and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

I saw Dudamel last night at the Usher Hall, and it was brilliant.

I am going to write a bit more about the music I have seen in this year's festival, but if you are going to the Proms tonight, it should be - well, equally brilliant.

And if you aren't going to the Proms tonight (and let's face it, it must have sold out about three months ago) - listen to the concert on Radio 3!!!

One downside: they are not playing Appalachian Spring tonight, which was absolutely superb last night - it was very moving.

YouGov poll in Scotland...

"SNP will rout Labour in general election - poll...Labour will lose almost half its Westminster seats to the SNP as the backlash grows against Gordon Brown's Government, according to an opinion poll today." So says todays Independent. There is nothing on the Indie website about this article, and the banner says "Printed in Scotland", so perhaps they have started a Scotland-only edition (I'll bet it lasts for the duration of the festival only...).

The Indie says the poll by YouGov forecasts both Alistair Darling and Des Browne will lose their seats. The Scotsman focuses on Darling and others losing their seats.

You can see the results on the YouGov website here.

Not surprisingly, the SNP website has most about the poll - they commissioned the poll - although the figures quoted by the SNP (45% SNP, 25% Labour, LibDem 14%) are different from those in the Indie (SNP 36%, Labour 29%, LibDem 13%) - and I can't make either set of numbers from the results published on the YouGov website.

Still, whoever you believe, it is a huge fall in Labour's support, echoing the resent Glasgow East by-election defeat.

This is compounded by the news today that Labour will have to fight another Scottish by-election following the death of Glenrothes MP John MacDougall.

YouGov poll in Scotland...

"SNP will rout Labour in general election - poll...Labour will lose almost half its Westminster seats to the SNP as the backlash grows against Gordon Brown's Government, according to an opinion poll today." So says todays Independent. There is nothing on the Indie website about this article, and the banner says "Printed in Scotland", so perhaps they have started a Scotland-only edition (I'll bet it lasts for the duration of the festival only...).

The Indie says the poll by YouGov forecasts both Alistair Darling and Des Browne will lose their seats. The Scotsman focuses on Darling and others losing their seats.

You can see the results on the YouGov website here.

Not surprisingly, the SNP website has most about the poll - they commissioned the poll - although the figures quoted by the SNP (45% SNP, 25% Labour, LibDem 14%) are different from those in the Indie (SNP 36%, Labour 29%, LibDem 13%) - and I can't make either set of numbers from the results published on the YouGov website.

Still, whoever you believe, it is a huge fall in Labour's support, echoing the resent Glasgow East by-election defeat.

This is compounded by the news today that Labour will have to fight another Scottish by-election following the death of Glenrothes MP John MacDougall.

Photography in public spaces

A couple of days ago, theyorkshergob posted a link to a DibLemming post about taking photographs in public places, and the dangers (real and otherwise) of doing so.

Then today Freedom & Whisky has a post about the police preventing photographers taking pictures of activity, and how Austin Mitchell MP is introducing an early day motion condemning the police stopping photographers who are lawfully taking photographs.

I take a lot of photographs, although I can't remember being stopped from taking photographs when it was lawful for me to take pictures. (I have often been asked not to take pictures where I can see why I shouldn't - in museums, for instance, where I might infringe an artist's copyright.)

Here's to success for Mitchell's motion!

Photography in public spaces

A couple of days ago, theyorkshergob posted a link to a DibLemming post about taking photographs in public places, and the dangers (real and otherwise) of doing so.

Then today Freedom & Whisky has a post about the police preventing photographers taking pictures of activity, and how Austin Mitchell MP is introducing an early day motion condemning the police stopping photographers who are lawfully taking photographs.

I take a lot of photographs, although I can't remember being stopped from taking photographs when it was lawful for me to take pictures. (I have often been asked not to take pictures where I can see why I shouldn't - in museums, for instance, where I might infringe an artist's copyright.)

Here's to success for Mitchell's motion!