Ghurka's Inn

I've just had a thoroughly pleasant afternoon spent with friends walking up to Blackheath through Greenwich Park, through the circus/fair thingy on the Heath up to the Railway Tavern for a roof terrace pint and then taxi back to Greenwich for a curry.

Ghurka's Inn has estabished itself as my favorite local curry house, out of a strong playing field of contenders both in Greenwich and up the hill (it's a good excuse to eat lots of curry! Yummy like). The menu caters for regular Indian curry tastes, but also adds a distinct Nepalese dimension - at an affordable price and with eat in and takeaway service that is of a high standard. Apparently the business is moving from strength to strength, particularly since the Greenwich Phantom reviewed the restaurant. It's great to hear that local independent businesses are doing well in spite of the recession, and that good food and pleasant service count for more in customer's preference than a prime location or brand recognition. A bonus is there's no loud/cheesy music, just the quiet buzz of the crowd tucking into their meals.

I shan't dwell too much on the details of my meal (since the Phantom continues to review the local eating houses in a more scientific manner than my rumbly belly could manage), but the Momo was a refreshing take on vegetable dumplings - they were pebble-sized balls of battered spcied vegetables with a tangy curry sauce; my butter chicken was splendid as always and the rice and naans cooked just right.

All in all, a good evening was had by all!

Armed Police raid on the Trafalgar Estate...

I've never seen anything like this... there are roughly 40 odd police, including 15 plainclothed and 10 armed police in body armour doing a systematic raid on Aylmer, Gifford and possibly the other blocs on the Trafalgar Estate. There are some people in handcuffs, a guy up on the gallery with his hands on his head and police officers knocking door to door. Some are carrying submachine guns, others look more regular. They're telling passers-by to get past quickly.

There are no police cars in sight, and I didn't realise anything was up until the local dogs started making a racket.

Now they're going through the wheely bins - what might they find there?

I wonder what this is in aid of? Is it a targetted drugs raid, or a general clampdown? The officers have entered more than one property. One flat has just ejected around 10 armour clad officers.

More to follow...

Update 00:15: Apparently it's part of Operation Blunt 2, a Londonwide initiative to reduce gang and knife crime. The BBC ran a story this afternoon and the Newshopper have their take on raids in Bromley, Bexley and Lewisham this morning.

I don't know how successful the raids in Greenwich were, but they certainly didn't look like they were out to win the hearts and minds of the local community. Still, if it scares potentially wayward kids as much as it scares me, maybe it could do some good.

The votes are in...

So, it's Friday: the votes from the European parliament elections have been cast, a cabinet minister has resigned and more are rumoured to follow.

I found it heartening that people in the street and on the doorsteps were generally interested to know what the voting response had been like. Unfortunately, with the vagueries of postal voting, not even the polling stations could guess. One of the staff at a station I visited reckoned there had been approximately 200 people visit throughout the day - this is thought to be a slightly lower figure than other european elections, and considerably lower than a general (this was at about 7pm and there were still people showing). Anti-party feeling was still in evidence from people across the political spectrum: UKIP seems to be the main benefactor from voter anger in all parties, but particularly the Conservatives (unsurprisingly).

I was surprised that I was not able to find a slate for Libertas on my ballot paper. Perhaps I didn't look closely enough, but as somebody who makes a concerted effort to read all of the options before voting (if only to laugh at Scargill and the BNP), I find it quite disconcerting that I don't recall seeing them as a option.

On the cabinet resignations issue (pitched tentatively in case Ofblog is paying attention...), I am surprised and pleased that James Purnell was the first member of cabinet to finally, truthfully and honestly lay his cards on the table. For those who aren't versed in the conventions of Westminster, cabinet ministers are not permitted to speak out against the government (aberrations like Clare Short aside). Convention has it that a minister tends his or her resignation in order to protest on point of principle and voice their opposition to the government of the day from the back benches.

This principled and unambiguous practice has seemed to have become muddied in the modern political world, with reshuffles, briefings, hollow shows of support, weasel words and pointed silences standing in place of real action. Purnell has done the honourable thing, and exposed the Emporer's nakedness. One of my organisation's own masters, Andy Burnham of the DCMS, is rumoured to a next possible resignation.

These are certainly strange and fascinating times in which we live.

News in Brief...

In a roundup of the last week's events, there sadly isn't a great deal I can offer. This is due large part to having caught a bad cold (or man flu as my colleagues would call it) and spent the week laid up at my parents in sunny Norfolk. And when I wasn't tucked into my duvet watching the short-lived noughties sci fi TV series Firefly, (a real gem if you like Westerns), I was busy writing my work-based project for my "Certificate in Personnel Practice".

I've never been a strong one for slick, well presented essays bound in all manner of plasticy goodness and sprinkled with tasteful excel pie charts. I'd rather spend 36 hours pulling something together that resembles the handiwork of an incontinent spider and allow the rest of my life for more exciting things like getting a cold. Nevertheless, I'm happy with my effort. Let's hope it's good enough for the CIPD.

This evening I've just returned from a delivery session up in Blackheath Westcombe ward - basically the local action teams help each other raise their profile within their areas since it makes the task of seeing everyone in Greenwich much easier. Thursday looks set to be a busy day of encouraging anyone I can find to get out and vote in the European elections. Turnout is expected to be extremely low, with antipathy over MPs expenses running high.

To anybody reading this, I would ask you to please go to the polling station and mark your ballot, even if only to spoil it in protest. When you think of the sacrifices people made to earn us all the right to vote, it seems sad that people opt to not vote at all.