please empty your brain below
7. Saw a one of those Viking cruise ships at Greenwich a few years ago. It was anchored just across the river from the shipyard where Brunel built the Great Eastern 170 years ago.

Looking at the size of the Viking vessel, the thought struck me that those looking at the Great Eastern might have thought that for their time it was bloody enormous too.

IanD | 08.05.24 - 7:17 a.m. | #

2) I was passing the polling station anyway and thought I would pop in even though I only had my freedom pass with a picture that was so worn it could have been almost anyone. I explained my picture was a bit dodgy. I was reassured it was probably OK. "I am sure that is you" she said, implausibly.

It seemed very much a tick box exercise. If they could write down the code on your id then that was good enough regardless of the state of the picture.

Pedantic of Purley | 08.05.24 - 7:21 a.m. | #

7. We visited Woolwich on Monday. They were operating a two-boat service and we enjoyed watching the boats pirouette around each other in the rain, unaware that this was anything special or new.
I noticed that the timetable is now a 15-minute frequency, but the internet that in the good old manual docking days, the Woolwich Ferry ran every 5-10 minutes, so we aren’t quite back to where we should be, and perhaps never will be.

Dan | 08.05.24 - 7:22 a.m. | #

7. Both ferries were running on the 22nd of last month, when I took a long-winded route to get to IKEA by bike. I also didn't realise that this was a novelty - nor did I see any cruise ships on my crossing.

Martin | 08.05.24 - 7:23 a.m. | #

2) the clerk at my polling station made quite a performance of scrutinising my photo ID and making sure it was me. I wonder if he kept up the show for the full shift.

I've not seen a police officer at a polling station for a long time though. Is that standard for Tower Hamlets?

Martin | 08.05.24 - 7:26 a.m. | #

2) They just took a picture of mine on a tablet along with the ballot papers. My photo is quite old but they didn't seem to bother comparing it to me.

paul robert draper | 08.05.24 - 7:58 a.m. | #

2. It may have affected the outcome somewhere already. For individual councollors in local elections the majorities are often in double or even single figures.

Timbo | 08.05.24 - 8:04 a.m. | #

2. Reminds me of the reluctance of the government to give prisoners the vote when there isn't a constituency in the country that would change hands even if 100% of the prisoners voted the same way.

dg writes: not correct

I wouldn't be surprised if their long term plan was to make the only valid ID a conservative party membership card

Ian | 08.05.24 - 8:08 a.m. | #

7. I saw one of the Vikings at Greenwich last Thursday, not sure if it was the same one. Yes, they are huge.

2. Shame on you to try and dodge the rules. The lady at my polling station said the ID was all that matters these days, forget the polling card. She didn't even ask for my name until she had checked my oldies bus pass. We only had the Police Commissioner poll, I was the only person there and I see we scored a magnificent 15% turnout.

davews | 08.05.24 - 8:18 a.m. | #

5 - I only wear sunscreen (in London anyhow) as a matter of course one month either side of the solstice, and if I know I'm outside all day then two months. I'm fair skinned (but not ginger) and I've never been burned while following that regime. Though I have of course forgotten and picked up some pink anyhow, but that's my fault for being forgetful. Perhaps they're trying to make it habit so you never forget.

Chz | 08.05.24 - 8:38 a.m. | #

1 - What about snap (Wren/Wren) or Play Your Cards Right - 1666 (higher).

3 - It's almost as if they knew you lived locally and if they included enough errors in their publicity they would get coverage.

5 - 99% of researchers and scientists reach the conclusion they were paid to find.

6 - ULEZ compliant ice cream vans aren't cheap, the 30 year old Bedford CF doesn't cut it anymore.

7 - As a YouTube expert on ship things, the brakes are terrible and they have a tendency to do lots of damage even at low speeds. So best keep out of the way and wave as they go past.

Still Anon | 08.05.24 - 8:39 a.m. | #

2. On purpose I didn't state my name although I did give them my polling card. I wasn't asked for it unlike previous years when my polling card wasn't sufficient.

Colin Whiting | 08.05.24 - 8:44 a.m. | #

The ferry has been very poor for a long time. Bit harsh to state all sites regurgitate press releases though as Greenwich Wire and From the Murky Depths do highlight problems with the service in their coverage and put a bit of context - and have done for a long time - rather than cut/paste TfL's stories which tend to ignore issues and put out without thought by some other outlets.

Steve | 08.05.24 - 9:40 a.m. | #

5. No doubt the sponsoring company also sells vitamin D tablets as this is a guaranteed way to get a deficiency.

For the record as a skin cancer sufferer my dermatologist recommends 15-20 minutes unfiltered „daylight“ between November and February on the face and if possible forearms. Then re-introducing screen from March until October (pretty much as Chz said) to prevent over-exposure but not completely blocking out UV absorption.

It has kept me melanoma free for over 20 years although I still need to take vitamin D tablets to keep my level up as I tend to be over cautious.

keith the Kraut | 08.05.24 - 10:09 a.m. | #

5. I also saw that ridiculous advert. I'm disappointed TfL have allowed it at all, considering their pretty draconian rules on things like junk food as it's horrendous scaremongering.

Mikey C | 08.05.24 - 10:21 a.m. | #

2. I wasn't even asked for a photo. It caused so much confusion and conferring when I turned up to cast a proxy vote that they forgot and I didn't remind them. I did have to produce one when I cast my own vote in a different polling station.

Gap | 08.05.24 - 10:24 a.m. | #

2 Martin. Every time I've been to a polling station in last decade there has been a copper at the door. So I think normal for Tower Hamlets.
7 Viking ships are relative tiddlers in the cruising world. But we don't see the monster ships at Greenwich as they are too large to get up the Thames

IslandDweller | 08.05.24 - 10:37 a.m. | #

Mon 6: As I like decent ice-cream, I'd go for their offering of Marshfield Farm rather than the tasteless slop most ice-cream vans serve as 'whipped'. But that pricing is pure extortion (careful, the Mail agrees with you).

martin'O'Holcombe | 08.05.24 - 10:51 a.m. | #

2. My ID was checked so casually I wasn't at all convinced there was any cross-check between the name I gave and the one on my ID.

7. Weirdly that press release isn't on the Latest Press Releases page. It does appear if you expand the 2024 list but is then initially shown dated as 2020.
TfL should be embarrassed to spin "We've finally got both boats working reliably so it can run as often as you'd expect it to anyway" as "a new and improved timetable". I do though love the way they assume absolutely zero knowledge on the part of the press release recipients, so they even have to tell editors where the ferry runs.

Andrew S | 08.05.24 - 10:56 a.m. | #

2. My wife's vote is in her married name but her driving licence is in her maiden name. This was accepted as suitable Id!

Phil | 08.05.24 - 12:00 p.m. | #

2nd). I’m not convinced they do a proper check of people turned away for lack of ID, as many polling stations had ‘greeters’ outside who ‘reminded’ you before you went in, at which point some would go away, maybe to return, maybe not. The proper check inside might be recorded, but that would mainly be to confirm someone’s ID was OK. And of course, the number of people who don’t go in the first place because they know they haven’t got ID or don’t want the hassle will only be known when the Electoral Commission does its survey afterwards. To make a point, I took in all the many forms of ID I had as a person of a certain age and status, and insisted they look at them all.

ActonMan | 08.05.24 - 12:04 p.m. | #

2. I produced the requisite travel pass, and to be honest it wasn’t a hassle, as it’s in my jacket pocket anyway (albeit with an ancient pic, though it didn’t worry the election clerk). But I strongly object to the attempted voter suppression and the mealy-mouthed “justifications” put out by the government. Some schadenfreude from Rees-Mogg’s admission last year at the NatCon conference that it really was all to do with gerrymandering but had backfired on the Tories in the previous local elections because it was mostly older people — often their voters — who in practice didn’t have ID. Wonder if this will still be the case at the general election?

Labourer | 08.05.24 - 12:26 p.m. | #

2. I applied for (and received) a Voter Authority Certificate (free photo ID for voting) despite having a driving licence, on the basis that:

a) it will make the implementation of photo ID requirements a bit more expensive (because a Voter Authority Certificate is free); and

b) the terms and conditions of a driving licence are such that the DVLA can revoke it and/or demand its return at any time, including shortly before an election, thus posing an unacceptable risk of losing access to my photo ID.

I would encourage anybody else to do the same.

anon | 08.05.24 - 12:32 p.m. | #

5 - I've just had to Google SPF as it's not an abbreviation I'd heard of before, which isn't great in an advert, although reading the rest of the text would help me guess what it stands for.

Anders | 08.05.24 - 12:59 p.m. | #

7) Out of curiosity I thought I would look up the Woolwich Ferry Timetable on the TfL website. You have to select a start point (fair enough) but then you have to select an end point!

To make this even more unnecessary, the timetable from each pier is identical since, with a two boat service, both ferries leave at the same time and cross in the middle.

Pedantic of Purley | 08.05.24 - 3:29 p.m. | #

7. ...that ferry timetable insanity very nearly made it into today's post, but I decided not to overburden things.

diamond geezer | Homepage | 08.05.24 - 3:55 p.m. | #

4 - This only works if you say the month first; '4th of May be with you' doesn't quite have the same ring about it.

Trevor S | 08.05.24 - 6:11 p.m. | #

4. Cracking photo!

Cornish Cockney | 08.05.24 - 6:31 p.m. | #

2) I also logged this protest; by first arriving with my polling card, birth certificate, council tax bill, bank statement and a non-accepted photo railcard so that I could prove my identity but miss all the Election Act criteria.

Suitably (and legally correctly) rejected I emailed my MP to complain, only to have her knock on my door that evening! Was good to be able to reinforce my point in person.

Even if, like you, I'd somewhat weakened my protest by returning an hour later with my Voter Authority Certificate.

Polling Staff were polite and fastidious throughout, and I apologised to them on my return!

TomH | 08.05.24 - 7:38 p.m. | #

5. I agree with your views on SPF; especially in the midst of winter. There is a more subtle point to be born in mind - it’s really good for looking after your skin!

Gordon Dudman | 09.05.24 - 8:32 a.m. | #

Thought it was a bit soon for it to already be the end of the month!

2) Someone in the office came to work forgetting their passport, which he was quite upset about because the polling station was far more convenient being on the way back home from the station. Now, he was a committed voter so went back home to fetch it anyway, but how many more apathetic voters would have bothered had they done the same and forgotten to slot their passport in their bag before work?

paul robert draper, I wonder if that's legal?

ActonMan, my polling station didn't have greeters amazingly. Wonder how normal that is? Only someone from the Tory party trying to get you to reveal the location code on your polling card!

Labourer, and they now want to do the same with postal voting... which tends to benefit them. Bit like the Republicans in the US really who pre-covid really benefited from it.

matthieu1221 | 09.05.24 - 8:17 p.m. | #

5) I saw this tweet today (and the many replies and quotes of it) and I thought of you.

Desmond | 14.05.24 - 11:49 a.m. | #











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