Monthly Archives: June 2009

100mbps Broadband to be brought to Thornton estate in Hull

Posted on June 30, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The Daddy of all Broadband!

Super-fast Broadband of 100mb per second download speed – “the Daddy of all Broadband” – is set to be brought to the Great Thornton estate in Hull according to the Fibrestream Blog.

Fibre Optic CableIn a unique partnership involving Fibrestream and the Goodwin Development Trust then up to 400 flats on the estate will benefit from the new internet speeds provided by modern fibre-optic cable with linked telephone and High Definition TV services.

Hull City Council appears to have supported the project and has made a commitment to seek common ground with the East Riding Council on connectivity issues.

Fibrestream is not just leading on the technical aspects, but is also actively exploring new ways in which communities can have a real stake in the new technology through developing new mutual ownership models.

We wait to see the full details of the project to emerge but this is a truly exciting development in the city with ramifications across the East Riding.

Related information: The Future of Broadband BBC Technology.

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, Hull, ICT

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Wii Fitness Project for senior citizens in Withernsea

Posted on June 29, 2009 by | 1 Comment

Do you think video games are just for kids? Then think again and be inspired by the recycled teenagers in PAGER (Pensioners Action Group East Riding).

Wii sports are being used to help PAGER Members keep fit in Withernsea. The Wii ENABLE PROJECT has been helping them to use the popular games console to take part in beneficial exercise. They have been playing interactive games of boxing, tennis, bowling and golf.

Apparently the group members are having so much fun that they are quite keen to keep the project running after it finishes at the end of July.

The group has invited others to join in the fitness fun! It meets for the next three Thursdays in July 2009 at the resort’s SHoRes Centre.

Source: Holderness Gazette

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, ICT

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South Holderness School Community Day on Going Green

Posted on June 29, 2009 by | Leave a comment

SouthHoldernessCommunityA Community Open Day is being held at South Holderness Technology College to celebrate the achievements made in the school’s “Going Green” project.

The event which takes place on the evening of Thursday 9th July 2009 will feature displays on the school’s unique outdoor classroom “The Quad”, its polytunnel, animals and recycling projects. There will also be flowers, hanging baskets and other gifts to buy plus competitions to find the best and largest vegetables.

The event at the school takes place on THURSDAY 9th JULY 2009 from 4.30pm – 7:00pm. Entry is £1 each with accompanied children free of charge.

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, Hedon

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CSI comes to Hedon – Forensic crime scene workshop

Posted on June 28, 2009 by | Leave a comment

CSICSI is coming to Hedon!

Following in the steps of its highly original Facial Reconstruction workshop, the Holderness Grange Country Club on Draper’s Lane, Hedon is hosting an exciting three-day Forensic Crime Scene Workshop in August 2009.

The East Riding News reports that during the three days participants will learn about the recovery of a crime scene as well as analysing the evidence. There will be practical and theory sessions in crime scene investigation: This includes forensic anthropology, identification of blood, hairs, fibres, fingerprints and shoeprints and – of course – solving the crime!

The workshop is organised by the South Holderness Adult Education Centre and takes place at the Country Club, Birch Tree Drive, Draper’s Lane, Hedon, HU12 8FJ over the following dates and times:

Thursday 20th August – 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Friday 21st August – 9:30am and 3:30pm

Saturday 22nd August – 9:30am and 3:30pm

Lunch will be provided on Friday and Saturday.

For more details of costs and to book places then e-mail south.holderness.adult.ed@eastriding.gov.uk or telephone 01482-897534.

Venue information (PDF): HoldernessGrangeNews

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, Hedon

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Hull LUG (Linux User Group)

Posted on June 28, 2009 by | 2 Comments

Hull LUG LogoAt the last meeting of Hull Digital (see left side-bar) I received information about the Hull LUG (Linux User Group).

‘Linux’ refers to a group of computer operating systems that are offered as free and open source software. And the Hull (and East Riding) LUG is a group for those using or interested in using Linux. The group also discusses and shares information on open source software and other computing issues.

Hull LUG meet on the first Tuesday of every month at 8:00pm. The next meeting takes place on Tuesday 7th July 2009, 8:00pm at:

The Old Grey Mare, Cottingham Road, Hull, HU5 2EG

I know some of the characters involved – including 90 year old Theo, so I can vouch that they are a friendly bunch!

Note: For more information about Linux see Linux Online.

For those wanting a simple guide to free and open source software then have a look at these portable document files stored on Box.Net which are produced by the ICT Hub and one particularly good document produced by the Non-Profit Open Source Initiative aimed at voluntary and community groups: VCS_FOSS Information.

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, Hull, ICT

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Waste Incinerator: HOTI Chair declares that fight is only just beginning!

Posted on June 27, 2009 by | 1 Comment

HOTI LogoOver 100 people attended the Hull and Holderness Opposes The Incinerator public meeting in Hedon’s Alexandra Hall last night (Friday 26th June 2009).

Campaigner Malcolm Lynn explained the background to the campaign and HOTI’s objections to the proposed incinerator and appeal for more positive and sustainable  alternatives to be used instead.

Laura Gyte, a laywer from the Friends of the Earth Rights and Justice Centre, explained how the incinerator project could breach European legislation on the ‘fair procurement of contracts’. The Rights and Justice Centre would help HOTI make a complaint to the EC (European Commission) which if successful would prompt an EC challenge into the project.

Also, upon publication of the Environment Agency’s formal documention granting a permit to operate the incinerator, then HOTI and the Rights and Justice Centre would be contacting a barrister to see what grounds there might be for a legal challenge on that issue.

HOTI Chair and East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor Peter Turner  summed up the contributions from the main speakers and condemned the incinerator as “yesterday’s answer” to very real current problems and declared that the fight against the incinerator was only just beginning!

During the public question and answer session two speakers expressed the concern that HOTI had lost the public impetus and opportunities to get people involved. The campaign had not built upon the support of over 1,000 people who marched from Hedon to Saltend in July 2006 to demonstrate against the incinerator .

Peter Turner confirmed that the legal challenges may take months to progress but that HOTI would take into account all the views expressed at the meeting and urged people to leave their contact details to receive the latest information.

Note : Unfortunately the official HOTI website highlighted above does not seem to have been updated for some time, however it still remains a useful source of background information on this issue.

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Posted in Debate, East Yorkshire UK, Hedon

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East Riding Council ‘re-think’ on parking charges!

Posted on June 23, 2009 by | Leave a comment

In what must be seen as the result of an effective piece of consultation (or perhaps the organised opposition!) the East Riding of Yorkshire Council has agreed to a re-think over its controversial proposals to introduce new parking charges.

The Hull Mail reports Councillor Felicity Temple as saying that the consultation “was a good exercise and we have listened. Now, we have got to find a third way.”

In the same article Cllr Temple also warns that further action might take some time to materialise: “We have just been through quite a long process and there is another long process to come….We need to analyse the responses to try to glean some of the suggestions people have put forward, but I am not sure how long that will take.”

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Posted in Debate, East Yorkshire UK, Hedon

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National Flood Protection proposals may leave the East Riding at greater risk of flooding

Posted on June 21, 2009 by | Leave a comment
"River" Hull

"River" Hull in Summer Floods

The East Riding Council’s ruling Councillors have pledged to fight flood-management proposals drawn up by the Environment Agency. The Council maintains that the proposals will direct future investment in flood defences to urban areas at the expense of rural areas like the East Riding.

On the East Riding Council Website Council leader Stephen Parnaby states that the Environment Agency is proposing a strategy that utterly fails to protect rural areas like the East Riding and leaves thousands of homes at risk, not to mention prime farmland on which the local economy depends.

The council’s cabinet has resolved to oppose the proposals in the “strongest terms”:

“We shall be letting the Yorkshire Regional Flood Defence Committee know our views and contacting local MPs to ask them to help facilitate a meeting at Ministerial level so that we can put the case for protecting the East Riding.” Stephen Parnaby, ERYC Leader

Other relevant information:

Environment Agency Flood Map for Hedon and Lessons from Summer Floods 2007;

Coastal Futures information on coastal change and flood management.

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Posted in East Yorkshire UK, Hedon

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