Here we are again – another week, another crop of political debates.

But let’s leave those for a while: start with some almost forgotten, frequently glossed-over history – Philip on English Buildings has been looking into the Sheela na gig at Kilpeck, Herefordshire. And yes, I might be a little biased in putting that first, since I was writing about them back in 2004, (but at least it proves I can truly wear a “veteran blogger” tag!)

Stay on architectural decoration, Ornamental Passions has been taking a close look at the frieze decorating the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, now the Odeon cinema, Covent Garden. Walking right around the building: parts one, two, three, four, five. What you get is a complete snapshot history of theatre.

And while we’re on institutions frozen in stone, here seems an appropriate place to point you towards Two Doctors questions for the Anglican church.

Flowing on (sorry!), we get to an introduction to the world of the narrowboat from Bristling Badger.

We can’t, however leave politics as in the bash and stoush stuff for too long, so let’s start with Charles Crawford’s interesting take on the Chilcot inquiry: is the inner, inner circle, dumping on Blair’s inner circle? And what should we think about that?

Staying traditionally political, Dodgblogium has a short and snappy take on the non-dom Zac Goldsmith.

Then getting down to street-level politics, Jim from The Daily (Maybe) was taking his (practical) hat (and coat) to the streets of London for The Wave, and summing up the subsequent reporting.

Staying with practical politics, Matt Sellwood looks at the issues raised by a community squat in Hackney.

And then hit the rails as Jonathan Calder on Liberal England considering one (of the many) problems with privatised train companies.

Meanwhile Kate on Cruela blogs points out the incredibly obvious problem with a police anti-rape campaign. Really, in the 21st century, blaming the victim? and Jo on A Week is a Long Time, looks at the latest abortion figures. Where is the role of men being included in this debate? she asks.

And on The F-Word, Laurie Penny says transphobic feminism makes no sense.

And on Go Litel Blog Go, Backwatersman is considered about the character of Bercow. No, not the Labour one…

Also, David Herzig guest blogs, on Is there more to life than shoes, about the Swiss minaret referendum. And Prodicus offers his graphical take on the climate change debate.

Okay, enough of the politics, back to real life: Random Acts of Reality explains ambulance life as it really, really is. Not great!

And The Magistrate takes on the blogging policeman on the issue of sentencing. This is what you call seriously lively debate.

Then, sorry, this is London, but an issue of public information: where has the London Evening Standard gone? Diamond Geezer finds there are heaps in some parts of the capital, and none in other parts.

But to finish off, let’s have some Christmas cheer – and Ruscombe Green reports that Stroud started the festive season in fine style, even if it was all a bit much for an old canal horse.

You might find in the roundup that I’m linking to places I wouldn’t usually link: that’s the rules of hosting, you take the nominations as you find them, and leave your readers to draw their own conclusions. Not always a comfortable rule, but, I think, a good one. More on the roundup.

Welcome to the perspicuous, the weird and the wonderful – a roundup of the British blogosphere, as nominated by you, its participants, this week.

Starting off, well there’s really only one subject that I could focus on – that well-watched, much-debated Question Time.

Clive Davis’ Confab (a new-this-month-blog) offers an overview from the “too much BNP” side of the debate. Constant Furious is, well, furious about the BBC’s approach, while feminazery considers Griffin was comprehensively hoisted on his own dogmatic nonsense. Writing in advance, that was what Juliet confidently predicted. The more light shone on the BNP the better, she suggests. But Jonathan on Liberal England thinks Griffin should have been given more rope.

Taking a broader view, James on Two Doctors remembers “the time I debated Nick Griffin, with some interesting thoughts on what makes the far right grow, while the issue of how to beat them has been pre-occupying Peter Cranie in the North West.

Cranmer takes an alternative approach, suggesting the programme provided the BBC with a clear way forward for saving money on Jonathan Ross (and also cutting their number of complaints.

You might need some light relief after that: I’d suggest visiting the bank with Mutley the Dog (he’s enjoying his huge share of the banking bailout in the form of chocolate peanuts); The Magistrate addressing the important issue of how to stay awake in court (as a former court journo I can sympathise with that one, the Diamond Geezer’s cunning plan to save Royal Mail; and, Jim on The Daily (Maybe) finds some generous rich Germans.

On the other big stories of the week, Bearwatch has what I’m judging to be a clever take on the GDP figures, Charles Crawford reflects on the Pope’s power grab, and Adopted Domain is considering how to vote in Edinburgh East.

Taking a broader view, Penny Red looks at the place of the blogosphere in British political life.

In other nominations, on The Final Redoubt there’s a view that the Copenhagen Summit will usher in ; on They’re Joking, Aren’t They, a consideration of the author Maurice Sendak; on Pro Liberi a consideration of brain programming by laser; and the Pirate Party blog tells of a woman who was almost made to pay for singing – and not by her neighbours.

Getting out into the “real world” of non-political (at least in the obvious sense) life, Jess McCabe on The F Word wonders what the woman in the woman in the bra has to do with consumer rights, Cruella considers the problem with miracles (why do they never involve the regrowing of a severe leg?), and to make you feel all warm and fuzzy (particularly if you’re tucked up warm at home and not in the Cotwalds rain) see what Stroud was doing for 350 day.

And staying with the birds and the bees to finish – even pigeons have bad dating days…

You can find out more about the roundup, and who’ll be hosting next, at Britblog central. You might find in this post some links to views you wouldn’t usually find on this blog – the rule of the Britblog is that all nominations are included, except for some clear exceptions. It does give a rather different view of the blogosphere, wherever you start from.

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…

Welcome to this week’s Britblog roundup, which comes to you with a Gallic flavour, courtesy of the very patient Cafe des Tilleuls in Autun, Burgundy, where I’ve been clogging up their tables and using their electricity for far too much of past week, unsuccessfully trying to escape from various forms of work on what is officially a holiday, hogging their WiFi signal. (Unfortunately French dongles are horribly unreliable, at least in the hamlet where I’ve been trying to use one – they only work when it is cloudy, and using the British one is horrendously expensive and only slightly more reliable.) The plus side is that the cafe does a fine line in enormous fancy ice-creams…

So Salut and pass the chocolate sprinkles!

I haven’t been reading the English-language news all week – so this is a roundup untainted by any influence of the MSM beyond Le Monde and La Journal Saone-et-Loire – it’s just the British blog view of the world, as nominated by you: see what you think of it! (And if you want to bypass all the politics, just skip down to the entertainment section – look for the bold paragraph…)

I couldn’t help knowing the Michael Jackson had died – mostly because every French radio station I could find seemed to be playing one of his songs that even I recognised: can’t say I actually have an opinion on the death, however, and, suggests Dave Osler, politicians shouldn’t either. But Marxists should, says A Very Public Sociologist.

And since I’m in France, I should also highlight Jessica Reed’s discussion on The F Word of the French burqa ban, an issue also discussed on Heresy Corner.

Staying Continental, on Amused Cynicism there’s a consideration of who votes for the Pirate Party across Europe – it’s the internet generation. (Although I don’t think Cabalamat is right about them using Facebook, that’s so last month – Twitter’s IT now, I think).

And on Pajamas Media, there’s an interview with MEP Dan Hannan, who is apparently a political star in the US.

Getting into British parliamentary politics, LibDem Darryl Goodliffe is worried about the Green Party’s impact on its vote, and Peter Cranie says the fear is making them fight even dirtier than usual.

Another Lib Dem is taking a realistic look at her political prospects: Charlotte Gore says her blog has pretty much killed her chances – which raises an interesting question for future generations of politicians.

Also on the politics side, Green Socialist is applauding the closure of private schools,

Turning more “social”, on Next Left, Rachel Jolley is worrying about pensions. (Although I do think that when you look at the ageing society, that also means fewer kids – and what really matters is the dependency ratio, not the number of aged – and also the old are going to be working longer – the French papers were full last week of plans to raise the retirement age in France, which is in practice among the lowest in Europe).

And, one of the scandals of Britain – women in prison. On the F Word Abby O’reilly reports on the massive rise in the number of women prisoners self-harming. And a salutory fact – more women are sent to prison for shoplifting than for any other offence…

On, one might say, the other side of women’s issues, Jackart on A Very British Dude, is defending Rebekah Wade and attacking Michel Hanson on the issue of women taking their husband’s names when they marry. (As regular Britblog readers will know, the rule for hosts is that all posts nominated must be posted, unless there’s a really good reason not to.)

And The Filthy Smoker on The Devil’s Kitchen has strong views on the price of alcohol (which comes with a language warning).

The issue on Himmelgarten Cafe is weight, and a new study confirming that being “moderately overweight” under current classifications will see you live longest. On The Ministry of Truth we’re also going sort–of-medical, looking at the regulation of psychotherapy and counselling.

Stumbling and Mumbling is wondering how the banks should be structured – pay isn’t the only issue, he suggests.

While Peter Ashley on Unmitigated England, to judge by his comments, has clearly hit a nerve with his complaint about English distances being given in miles, and so has Victoria on Feminnazery, with a strong view on Burger King’s new “sexual” burger.

But that’s enough misery – let’s have some cheer and entertainment, and more chocolate sprinkles!

I couldn’t do better than start with Philip Wilkinson’s visit to St Botolph’s, Slapton, Northamptonshire, which sounds absolutely stunning.

And staying on the history trail, on Liberal England, Jonathan Calder has been visiting the school where William Gladstone didn’t go, and Dr Roy has been following the trail of some really religious bees.

Missy M is establishing which cigarettes and alcohol don’t count at all – you’ll be pleased to know, with summer holiday season approaching, that none do in foreign countries.

But Trixy is demanding that the eggs in her egg roll come runny, health and safety be damned!

Also in the contest for most entertaining read is Juliette’s exploration of her local video shop – time for a good book, I’d say!

And if this isn’t been too self-referential, I’m going to round up this roundup with reference to another roundup – Jim Jepps on The Daily (Maybe) this week hosted the enormous international Carnival of the Green. (If you’re interested in hosting, be warned, you have to book several years in advance.)

The next edition will be on Mr Eugenides on July 5 – don’t forget to send your nominations to britblog AT gmail DOT com.

.. combined with a busy time at work.

Sorry for going AWOL without notice here – I’ve been consumed by the European election campaign; I could promise to be back here before June 4, but I can’t really guarantee it. Got half a dozen book reviews stacked up for when I get a few spare half hours….