Friday 31 October 2008

Lufthansa are buying bmi

It has been announced that Lufthansa are going to buy out Sir Michael Bishop's controlling stake in bmi (British Midland)

Hopefully this will bring some sort of semblance of organisation to bmi as "modular airline" idea that mean there are different service standards between bmi main line and bmi Regional will disappear and we'll have a consistent product. And that's before bmi baby is taken into account.

The problem with bmi at the moment is that it does not know whether it wants to be a low cost model airline (with bmi baby and the "tiny" fares and buy on board with bmi manline) or a full service airline (the long and medium haul routes and bmi regional with a wide range of economy fares from the cheap non-refundable to the expensive flexible and business class together with its membership of Star Alliance) and hopefully Lufthansa will bring order to this chaos.

It would be good to see development of further routes from Birmingham International (BHX) - at the moment the only bmi operation is bmi baby and codes shared on the various Lufthansa routes - and the development of a decent Star hub there.

Thursday 30 October 2008

Uncovering Lady Godiva

When I first moved to Coventry in 1994, one of the first things I heard people moaning about was the "tent" over Broadgate and the Lady Godiva statue.

Well at last it is being removed. See here.

Wednesday 22 October 2008

Halloween and Bonfire Night

The 31st October and 5th November are dates that have long been associated with fun, but elderly people can be left frightened and intimidated by youngsters calling at their home for "trick or treat" and families can find their pets scared by the bangs from fireworks.

Cllr Andrew Williams, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety said, "We see a significant increase in reports of nuisance and anti-social behaviour during this time of year and so the Coventry Community Safety partnership appeal for people to make this time of year as pleasant as possible by showing respect. Parents should ensure that their children are suitably advised and supervised."

Details of locally organised bonfire and firework displays/parties will be advertised in the local media. However, if people wish to hold their own event they are being asked to inform their neighbours well ahead of time. It's illegal to erect a bonfire on public land and the public are asked to report unscheduled bonfires or incidences of fly-tipped rubbish which could become a bonfire to 0500 834333 8am to 8pm (Mon to Fri) and 9am to 1pm (Saturday).

Under the new Fireworks Act there is now a curfew preventing people from lighting fireworks between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am – apart from a few exceptions (New Year’s Eve, Chinese New Year and Diwali) outside of these times, you may be liable to prosecution. Similarly, it is now illegal for children under 18 years old to purchase or be in possession of fireworks. Breaches of the law could result in a £5,000 fine, six months in prison or an on-the-spot fine.

Should you experience any difficulties please contact the Anti Social Behaviour hot line, "It’s Your Call", on 024 7683 1300 or in an emergency 999.

Tuesday 14 October 2008

Foleshill and Tile Hill residents join forces to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour

Residents in the Foleshill and Tile Hill areas of Coventry are taking to the streets for a week of action to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

“Not In My Neighbourhood Week”, which runs from 13 -17 October, aims to highlight what is being done in Foleshill and Tile Hill, day in, day out, to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. Agencies working together with the Coventry Community Safety Partnership will meet with members of the public to discuss the crime issues that need to be tackled and to build confidence in the work they do with the police to make communities safer.

Councillor Andrew Williams, Coventry City Council's Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community Safety said, "Local residents, neighbourhood policing teams, local authority services, Neighbourhood Watch schemes, anti-social behaviour officers and other local service providers will all be working together locally to inform people of what is happening in Foleshill and Tile Hill and to build on the positive work that's taken place so far to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in the area."