www.martintod.org.uk Open in urlscan Pro
217.160.0.132  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET https://www.martintod.org.uk/

<form role="search" aria-label="Search for:" method="get" class="search-form" action="https://www.martintod.org.uk/">
  <label for="search-form-1">
    <span class="screen-reader-text"> Search for: </span>
    <input type="search" id="search-form-1" class="search-field" placeholder="Search …" value="" name="s">
  </label>
  <input type="submit" class="search-submit" value="Search">
</form>

Text Content

Skip to the content
Search


MARTIN TOD

A believer in progress, material and social
Menu
 * Home
 * About Martin
 * Blog
 * Contact

Search
Search for:
Close search
Close Menu
 * Home
 * About Martin
 * Blog
 * Contact


Categories
Latest News Winchester


REPORTING GRAFFITI ON TELECOMS CABINETS

 * Post author By Martin
 * Post date August 5, 2022
 * No Comments on Reporting graffiti on telecoms cabinets

Like so many, I’m getting very irritated at current levels of graffiti – and
there’s a lot going on at the City Council to get it under control.

Most graffiti in our area is removed by the Business Improvement District or by
the City Council and both have significantly increased spending recently to get
more removed. Strictly, neither can remove it from another organisation’s
property without permission – and that includes the boxes owned by Openreach and
Virgin Media – as well as substations owned by SSE – and equipment owned by
Network Rail.

Each of these has places to report graffiti – currently as follows:

 * On public buildings, monuments, benches and bins
   * Winchester City Council – Clean My Street (or use the Your Winchester
     Android app or iPhone app and look for ‘Clean My Street’)
 * On cabinets
   * Openreach – Reporting Damage or Safety Problems
   * Virgin Media – Reporting Cabinet or Manhole Damage (you can also post in
     this webforum, which I’ve found works really well)
 * Near the railway
   * Network Rail – for problems on or near railway tracks.
   * At stations, use this South Western Railway form.
 * On substations
   * Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks – Substation Repair

One tricky thing to handle is identifying which organisation a cabinet belongs
to. Openreach has a guide to this (pdf) – but, if there isn’t an obvious logo or
label (or even a barely visible faded one), the main trick is to look at the
keyholes on the cabinet.

BT Openreach has triangular or star-shaped insert.

And Virgin has more conventional keyholes.

It’s always helpful to take a photo. Also write down or photograph whatever
numbers are on the box in case it’s a useful reference. Openreach also ask you
to use the What3Words app or website to get a useful link or set of three words
to give an exact location – and I’ve also used this successfully with other
organisations! If you don’t like using a proprietary system and want to use a
more open reference or app, then the Ordnance Survey’s OS Locate app gives you
easy access to latitude, longitude and National Grid references.

Any other comments or suggestions on how to get graffiti removed? Please add a
comment below.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Audio Technology


FIXING BLUETOOTH PROBLEM WITH TP-LINK UB400

 * Post author By Martin
 * Post date June 28, 2020
 * 68 Comments on Fixing Bluetooth problem with TP-Link UB400

I recently bought myself some Sony Bluetooth earbuds for my phone, but I was
keen to see if I could connect them to my PC too – so that I could use them in
conference calls, for example.

But my computer didn’t have Bluetooth. So I bought TP-Link UB400 Bluetooth
Adaptor online, because I’ve used and liked their stuff before. But when I
plugged it in it didn’t work! Windows 10 kept telling me I didn’t have Bluetooth
installed.

I went to the TP-Link FAQ for the UB400 – but nothing they suggested worked.

After a bit of Googling, I went to the Windows Device Manager, looked at the
Universal Serial Bus controllers, and disappeared down a rabbit hole trying to
fix the “Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed)” problem.

And only then did I go to the “CSR Bluecore Bluetooth” driver that also appeared
on the list of Universal Serial Bus controllers when I plugged in the dongle. As
an experiment:

 1. I right-clicked “CSR Bluecore Bluetooth and selected “Update driver”
 2. Clicked on “Browse my computer for driver software”
 3. Clicked on “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer”
 4. Picked “Generic Bluetooth Adaptor” in place of “CSR Bluecore Bluetooth”
 5. Clicked “next”

and suddenly everything worked!

So that’s my solution! I hope it works for you too.

 * Tags Bluetooth, TP-Link, UB400, Windows 10

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
20s plenty City Council County Council COVID19 Cycling Walking Winchester


COVID-19 AND OUR LOCAL STREETS

 * Post author By Martin
 * Post date May 4, 2020
 * 5 Comments on COVID-19 and our local streets

I’ve been thinking a lot about the challenges and opportunities that COVID-19
offers to the way we use our streets and roads here in Winchester.

The lower level of traffic is causing some immediate problems, such as increased
speeding; revealing other problems, particularly in places where our pavements
are too narrow for the number of people who want to use them; and also showing
great opportunities, with a big increase in walking and cycling, particularly on
our rural roads.

As we move into the recovery phase, we also need to do more to make our centres
“social distancing” friendly. This means wider pavements and, learning from
other countries, more opportunities for businesses to have widely spaced outdoor
seating areas. People need to feel confident and safe coming back to our towns
and villages knowing that they can easily move around in a socially distanced
way.

What sort of measures would this give us?

 * We need to tackle the heavily walked and queuing areas where the pavements
   are too narrow and the roads are too wide. An obvious place to start is the
   one-way system. I’d like to see if we could cone the whole one-way system
   down to a single lane with the rest reserved for walkers and cyclists –
   single lane in North Walls – single lane in St George’s St – narrowed single
   lane in Jewry St – narrowed single lane in the upper section of the High
   Street. If possible, we also need to do something for pedestrians on City
   Bridge and Romsey Road bridge too (although given both are heavily used by
   buses, this will be harder).

 * We need to cut cars and lock in the change on roads where we have seen a
   dramatic increase in leisure usage. In my own area the road where this is
   most visible is Sarum Road. I’m sure there are plenty more. As a minimum, we
   need signage which shows that this is a road where cars drivers are not the
   priority users and should expect heavy foot and cycle usage.

 * On speed, we need to finish the job in Winchester and extend the 20 mph zone
   to residential areas across the whole city. We also need to narrow roads and
   widen pavements or add cycle lanes where there is a particular risk of people
   driving too fast. I would love to see up an uphill cycle lane on Chilbolton
   Avenue, for example.

 * We need to create space for businesses to use the highway for widely spaced
   outdoor seating. The most obvious option to do this is to fully pedestrianise
   the Square. We may need a couple of blue badge parking spots for people who
   need parking near the centre, but we should definitely stop through traffic.

 * Finally, one minor irritant that I know concerns some people. We need to
   revisit our push button crossings. Can we make them sensor or timer driven –
   so we don’t all need to push the button?

Make sense? Any streets, roads or priorities I’ve missed?

One of my responsibilities at the council is the City of Winchester Movement
Strategy, so I’m already talking a lot with council officers and engineers at
the City Council and County Council about how we can improve our streets. I
promise to pass on any ideas that people send through!

 * Tags COVID19, Cycling, Movement Strategy, Streets, Walking, Winchester

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
County Council Latest News Winchester


HAMPSHIRE’S CUTS TO HIT WINCHESTER HARD

 * Post author By Martin
 * Post date October 17, 2017
 * 1 Comment on Hampshire’s cuts to hit Winchester hard



A press release I sent to the Chronicle – that colleagues liked so much that
they asked me to post it online. So here it is:

Yesterday’s meeting of Hampshire’s Conservative cabinet confirmed that they will
go ahead with their reckless £140 million cuts. These will only cost us more
long-term.

In particular:

 * Their cuts to health and care will mean that the NHS is unable to hit the
   financial targets laid out in its ‘sustainability and transformation plan’ –
   and will put health and care services under even more stress.
 * Their cuts to Household Waste Recovery Centres are almost certain to lead to
   more fly-tipping.

In a surprise decision, the Cabinet also voted to recommend extra money to
support parish and town councils in covering for services cut by Hampshire –
such as community transport, school crossing patrols and subsidised bus services
– however the Conservatives still have not put anything in place to support the
many areas of Hampshire without parish and town councils – such as Winchester.

There’s also still no sign that they are taking any account of the impact of the
cuts in less well-off areas of Hampshire.

Martin Tod, Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Winchester Westgate,
commented:

> We’re paying the price for the Conservatives’ incompetent and chaotic
> management of Brexit and the economy. This has led to collapsing investment,
> the lowest growth in both the EU and the G7 and rapidly growing inflation.
> Aside from the effect on people’s cost of living and the very real threat to
> businesses and jobs, this utter incompetence makes it even harder to tackle
> the crisis in funding for council services.
> 
> These cuts are a disaster of the Conservatives’ making – Conservative MPs,
> Conservative Ministers and Conservative Councillors have all contributed to
> this fiasco – and it will hit local people hard. The Conservatives are now
> compounding their failure by deciding not to have any kind of plan for the
> many areas of Hampshire without parish and town councils.
> 
> This is a real threat to Winchester – and, along with my colleagues, I will
> continue to push for the council to put in place a plan for unparished areas –
> and to stop the most damaging of their proposed cuts.
> 
> And nationally, the sooner we can find a way to ‘exit from Brexit’ and focus
> on a plan to turn round the economy, the better it will be for jobs, for
> businesses and for our local public services.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Categories
Meon Valley


A SURPRISING CAMPAIGN

 * Post author By Martin
 * Post date June 5, 2017
 * 2 Comments on A surprising campaign

A 250-word article for the Petersfield Post, Clanfield Post, Horndean Post and
Bordon Post:

Like many, I’ve been surprised at how shambolic the Conservative Party’s
national campaign has been. We supposedly have a ‘strong and stable’ Prime
Minister, but frankly she’s been all over the place.

First, we had the shambles of the ‘dementia tax’: poorly thought through and an
embarrassing flip-flip when it came to light.

We’ve had ever more evidence at the damage that Conservative cuts are doing to
vital public services like the police, health and education.

And we’ve had platitudes and no detail on what the Conservatives want to do with
the Brexit negotiations – and what they intend to do to offset the massive risks
that the Prime Minister herself admits exist.

We need a change.

As your MP, I won’t only vote for the party line, I’ll put Meon Valley first:

 * working to get proper funding for our health and social care services,
 * making sure none of our schools lose funding – and stopping any of them being
   downgraded to secondary modern status as the Conservatives propose
 * working to block any Brexit deal that doesn’t protect local jobs, local
   farmers and local businesses – doesn’t maintain full shared security
   cooperation – and doesn’t have full membership of the single market. I will
   also seek to make sure that the British people have a final say on any Brexit
   deal reached.

Even if the Conservatives win nationally, they still need a strong opposition.
Please use your vote to back me and ensure that Meon Valley’s best interests are
fully represented in Westminster.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


POSTS NAVIGATION

← Newer Posts1 2 … 42 Older Posts →


MARTIN’S TWITTER

What an amazing @WinLD team! So proud that all our hard work, and everything
we've done to deliver for local people, was reflected by winning 13 out of 16
wards across the @WinchesterCity district. 10 fantastic new councillors! Looking
forward to getting back to work on Tuesday! pic.twitter.com/GR9tOVqUA5

About 8 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter Web App · reply ·
retweet · favourite

Another stunning exhibition at @ArcWinchester - in partnership with
@NationalGallery. Rembrandt, Cranach, Jan Steen and Tracey Emin amongst others.
Get there soon though! It closes tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/R2Cmn3cA9g

About 8 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter for Android · reply ·
retweet · favourite

What an amazing @WinLD team! So proud that all our hard work, and everything
we've done to deliver for local people, was reflected by winning 13 out of 16
wards across the @WinchesterCity district. 10 fantastic new councillors! Looking
forward to getting back to work on Tuesday! pic.twitter.com/GR9tOVqUA5

About 8 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter Web App · reply ·
retweet · favourite

The more you read this the more jaw-dropping, dystopian and horrifying it gets.
@RAIL - does this happen anywhere else? twitter.com/propublica/sta…

About 8 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter Web App · reply ·
retweet · favourite

Just been to the @wessexdance Cohort 31 Graduation Performance at the
@TRwinchester. Absolutely brilliant. The energy, discipline and creativity of
the young dancers was an inspiration.

About 9 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter for Android · reply ·
retweet · favourite

It's my #Twitterversary! I have been on Twitter for 16 years, since 21 Mar 2007
(via @twi_age).

About 9 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via TwiAgeCom · reply · retweet ·
favourite

Such a good lunch at La Gastronomia in Bridge Street today. Great to have
authentic independent Italian food back in the city. #HelloWinchester
pic.twitter.com/LN43XhPwvn

About 10 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter for Android · reply ·
retweet · favourite

I've written on behalf of @WinchesterCity together with leaders of @EastleighBC
@hantsconnect, @newforestdc, @SouthamptonCC and @TestValleyBC to Lawrence
Gosden, Chief Executive of @SouthernWater about Southern Water's unacceptable
performance during recent emergencies. pic.twitter.com/OAKr7byTgv

About 10 months ago from Martin Tod's Twitter via Twitter Web App · reply ·
retweet · favourite




OPEN RIGHTS GROUP




THE TIMES CYCLING CAMPAIGN




INFORMATION

 * Privacy Policy
 * Contact


ADMINISTRATION

 * Log in
 * Entries feed
 * Comments feed
 * WordPress.org


TWITTER



© 2024 Martin Tod

Powered by WordPress

To the top ↑ Up ↑