When your city is under attack

This weekend’s attack in Paris has reminded me of the feelings of devastation I had when my city came under attack. During the 7/7 bombings in London my family were caught up in the horror across the capital. I heard the reports of the first explosion and instinctively knew it was a bomb. I knew my son was safely at school, having dropped him off before work, and managed to contact my husband, who was working the other side of London when I got to my office. However, I was unable to contact my daughter. The rising panic was exacerbated when I finally got through to her work placement and found she had not arrived.

It came as a welcome surprise when terror hit another capital city that I was able to find out very quickly via Facebook that my friends in Paris were safe. Using the #safetycheck feature they were able to notify us  that they were safe.

Similarly, Google made it possible for people to communicate with friends and family in France via its #hangouts app for free.

Words cannot express how it feels just hearing your loved ones are safe. Thinking about that time I waited for news still brings on tears. The relief when they all finally made it home - one having walked away from the bomb site at Kings cross and out of the capital - and the other having borrowed a bicycle to cycle 25 miles across in the city in lockdown – is indescribable.

Searching for loved ones

Not everyone is been fortunate enough to hear good news about their friends and family. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to the people still searching for theirs.

As information emerges about the 129 people killed and the many hundreds injured, there are still a number of people missing. A website has been set up to register people missing after the attacks but the interior ministry warns that the site is frequently overloaded and may be unavailable at times.

The hashtags #rechercheParis (searching Paris) and #rechercheBataclan are being used to circulate the names and photos of those missing.

I hope people will join in the minute silence for the victims, which will be held in the UK at 11:00 GMT, to coincide with a Europe-wide silence at midday French time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Landlord Licensing - licence for councils to print money.....

Nearly 90% of landlords in England are private individuals who are responsible for 71% of all private rented households. (source: Landlord and Buy-to-let magazine issue 46). By 2016 it is predicted that one in five households will be in the private rented sector.



The West Winds, Newtownards - The observant will notice the wall separating the public and private sector houses Attribution: Photo by Albert Bridge

The Residential Landlords Association are reported in the Landlord and Buy-to-let magazine as saying institutional investment will not be enough to secure all the homes the country needs. It has called on the Chancellor to support the army of small landlords. Amongst the suggestions of Alan Ward, Chairman of the RLA are measures to boost the supply and quality of homes available to rent. He says "our recommendations would help unlock the enormous potential for the army of individuals who rent out property to expand and create more homes and through this, they will be feeding more resources back to the Treasury."

At the same time, local councils are trying to penalise private sector landlords rather than encourage them. Waltham Forest have been trying to bring in a controversial scheme of compulsory licencing throughout the borough. They claim that the private rental sector is responsible for anti-social behaviour within Waltham Forest. The private rented sector makes up one third of homes within the borough (source: Guardian-series 21/3/2014).

The original idea was to charge landlords £500 per property rented out, although there was no indication how this money was to be used to tackle anti-social behaviour. Indeed the landlords who paid the licencing charge were also charged with policing and disciplining their tenants. So, the proposal would lead to the council rolling in extra cash while forcing Landlords to tackle anti-social behaviour at their own expense.

Following a campaign by Waltham Forest Landlords and Victor Michael Letting Agents, the cabinet voted to assess the scheme and bring proposals back to the table after council elections in May.

We will have to wait and see what they decide.........
 

Run Rabbit Run

The DeVere theatre company has returned home to the Good Fortune theatre to start rehearsals for its next production.

 It is the first day of rehearsals and already there has been a change to the schedule. The part of the dead body is now played by Buck Mailer violently killed as he stood in the spotlight, stage centre......

Want to work out who did it?
Visit ITM Games to buy the dinner party game and find out.






Mystery Parties and Murder Mystery Parties are available from www.itmgames.co.uk
Visit ITM Games and Invitation To Events for Games details.

Benedict Egg didn't like to be beaten.



Benedict Egg

And he didn't like his business rival,Runcy Spoon. 

 

Spoon was a steely character who didn't liked people trying to outshine him.

Runcy Spoon

Both men were rivals in the field of electronic innovation.

Both had spent time and money trying to outdo the other.

Both were concerned about the problem of sustainable energy.

And now both were locked in a vicious battle to develop a sustainable energy supply.

The Egg & Spoon Race was on.......

It appeared to everyone that Benedict Egg may have won, when he announced a press conference.

The audience of journalists, VIPs and guests of the Egg Corporation arrived and took their seats.
 

But, as Benedict demonstrated his companies exciting discovery something went wrong.

 Benedict was electrocuted by his own device! 

Was this a terrible accident?

..........Or maybe this was no accident but MURDER!

 

 

 

 

So, with a room full of suspects, who did fry Egg?

It was up to the audience, with the help of Chief Inspector Fawken Knife, to determine the guilty party.

If you would like to experience The Egg and Spoon Race yourselves, why not hire a private party for your friends, family and colleagues. Actors play the suspects and interact with the audience throughout the event. Guests are given the roles of journalists, VIPs and guests of the Egg Corporation. Participation is optional - You can interact with the actors as much or as little as you feel comfotable with.


This murder mystery is written by Catherine Skeggs and produced by Invitation To Events http://www.invitation2events.co.uk/murder_mystery.html

 

Cast:-

Anne Rason as Sue Flay

Sandra Ziles as Faye B J Egg

Amy Aldridge as Molly Coddled

Peter Grant as Benedict Egg and Chief Inspector Fawken Knife

Catherine Schroder as Eau Bergine

Anthony Bird as Runcy Spoon

Ben Thornton as Al Bumen

Photography by Hussein Ahmet of husphotography

Everyday Love

A poem by Jenny Holmes

Everyday Love

Let him sleep now.
Children, creep quietly upstairs.
I'll tell him goodnight from you later.
This morning he left for combat,
Not on some mane tossing stallion
Just the bus and the tube train.
We welcomed him home, battle weary
Restored him with family laughter
Our semi sham-turreted castle
Offering sanctuary.

This evening he slew, single handed,
With a stroke from his firm's printed ballpoint,
Those twin headed dragons that threatened
Electricity bill and the mortgage.
Now he rests, with the world's visor lifted.
Let me reach out to touch you
My everyday hero.

I have pressed your executive shirt,
And the crease in your trousers,
This modern age armour.
Tomorrow it's on with Life's tournament.
Come to bed love,
Together we'll pull up our drawbridge.

Popular - MIKA ft. Ariana Grande COVER

Sarah Medina performs "Popular" with Ben Skeggs-Thirkettle 

St Valentine's Day Masquerade

Looking for something different to do this Valentine's day? How about a Murder Mystery Party!

St Valentine's Day Masquerade

 



http://itmgames.co.uk/val_synop.htm

It is Chicago, it is 1923, and it is the time of prohibition.

Danny 'Diamond' Ditali, the infamous rum runner and gang boss has a problem. Last night he ordered 8 hits by eight members of his gang.

But now he hears that one of his victims is now in the hands of the FEDs, and squealing like a pig. Yet all his gang reported success, so how can this be?

Who lied to him? Who is still alive?

A murder mystery with a difference, Who Didn't Do It?

 

St Valentine's Day Masquerade is for 8 Players and costs £ 20 from ITM Games.