Philobiblon

Welcome one and all to the weekly festival of blogging delights – and let’s start with the fun…

If you want to find Sludge Hall Farm, just turn right at the sign of the cow. You can’t miss it.

And more animals – this time as bloggers: Investigations of a Dog is checking out another dodgy old book about Cromwell. And Pigeon blog is celebrating an avian hero.

And finally, a post to make the mouth water – Dorothea’s making pear and marrow chutney.

Okay – now to get into politics…

One of the big issues of the week was the “safeguarding” provisions that could see up to 11 million people facing extended checks before they can have any dealings with children – will there be anyone left to work with children, Sara asks on Always Win When You are Singing. Rumbold on Pickled Politics sees it as a way for government to further control civil society.

Other highlights in politics include:

* Don’t forget election night is, or should be, a carnival of democracy, says Jonathan on Liberal England.

* Adrian on Green Reading reflects on the many things Gordon Brown should apologise for, and the one that he has, the treatment of Alan Turing.

* Heresy Corner is less than impressed by the Lib Dem anit-airbrushing policy. What about computer generated models of Platonic perfection?

* Feminazery explains the problems she has with pornography.

Elsewhere, you’ll find the mummy worshippers are back in South Wales, Kim Dodge has NHS horror stories, Archbishop Cranmer is with Frederick Forsyth on the teaching of patriotism.

But enough of politics – time to get down to the nitty gritty of everyday life – or in the case of Sian Norri’s review on The F Word of Dirt, the cleaning up thereof.

* And Ben has a big question: should prisoners be allowed to blog?

* On Barkingside 21, there’s a wander around many aspects of economic debate today, with particular reference to dinosaurs… while Molly on Gaian Economics has been considering the value of workers’ cooperatives.

* What’s in a name? A survey of teachers this week has provoked a range of reflections. Stroppyblog wonders what class and race prejudices it might have revealed, while on The New Adventures of Juliette, the author reveals her own views.

* But what about hair shapes? Roy on Early Modern Whale has been exploring the history and superstitions of the widows’ peak.

* And Neil on A Place to Stand has a solution to Britain’s housing problem – houses made from shipping containers, while Jim on The Daily (Maybe) is interviewing Anna Minton, author of Ground Control, on the the problems with ‘regeneration’ of neighbourhoods.

But of course everyday life has its pleasures….

A Very Public Sociologist has been celebrating the anniversary of the women chainmakers’ strike of 1910.

Elsewhere, Northwest Scenes is remembering the Delph donkey, Ranting Stan says progressives don’t do voluntary, and Ornamental Passions has been visiting Park Village West at Regent’s Park London (which coincidentally is recently where Peter Mandelson moved…)

And finally, the always highly readable Diamond Geezer has tragic news – blogging’s dead. But the good news is, he’s going to keep going anyway.

That’s it this week – last week was at Suz blog; next week will be at Wardman Wire. If you think blogging’s got another week in it, send your nominations of the best of the British blogosphere to britblog AT gmail DOT com. The way it works is that all nominations will get a run, unless there’s a very good reason for them not to…