England overtakes The Netherlands as the busiest country in Europe

by Scott Carmichael on

England has the dubious honor of overtaking The Netherlands as the busiest country in Europe. For every square kilometer of land in England, there are 395 people, compared to “just” 393 people in The Netherlands.

Of course, the big difference is that The Netherlands has all those people spread out over a fairly small portion of land, in England you can drive a couple of hours and reach Wales (140 per sq. KM) or Scotland (167 per sq. KM), where the population density is much lower.

Then again, the same can be said for the Dutch, as almost 50% of the country is just an hour or less away from Germany (230.9 per sq. KM) where things are much quieter outside the major cities. As Holland continues to build in the few remaining open spaces between its “randstad” cities, England won’t hold onto this record much longer.

Naturally, politicians would not be what they are today if they didn’t use this news as a new excuse to complain about immigration. Then again, England has a long way to go if they plan to catch up with Bangladesh (1045 people per square kilometer) which has the largest population density of any major country. Once you start looking at all territories, Macao is the clear winner with a little over 18,000 people for every square Kilometer!

British Airports May Lift Liquid Ban Soon

by Josh Lew on

Passengers on both sides of the Atlantic are barred from bringing liquids through airport security checkpoints. That might be changing soon. British airports hope to have scanning devices that can sense explosive liquids in place soon. Security services are already in the final stages of testing the machines. Once the testers give the go ahead, airports can put the scanners to work.

Four airports, including London Heathrow, have already purchased scanners. However, it is likely that the ban on liquids will not be lifted until all the country’s international airports are similarly equipped and their security personnel trained to operate the scanners. In other words, don’t get overexcited and try to carry that $200 bottle of cognac onto your flight out of the U.K. tomorrow.

Airlines have been complaining about the restrictions for some time now. They say that the rules make England’s airports less attractive. However, the ban was first put in place after a terrorist plot to blow up airplanes using liquid explosives was uncovered. Being sure you’re not going to get blown up is pretty damn attractive…or maybe that’s just me. If the liquid scanners work in England, US airports will probably follow their lead in short order.

Donkeys have rights too!

by Martha Edwards on

A beach holiday in the English tourist town of Blackpool just isn’t the same without a seaside ride on a donkey for the little one–it’s one of those quirky traditions that has made Blackpool such a famous vacation spot in the UK. But new animal cruelty rules will soon ban overweight kids from taking the traditional donkey rides. According to this article from The Daily Mail, riders must weight less than 8 stone (112 lbs) in order to ride the donkeys, meaning the ride is open to normal-sized children and Nicole Richie.

And that’s just the beginning of the new labour regulations for the Blackpool beach donkeys — they also must have one day off a week, they must be cleared for labour by a vet and they must be allowed at least an hour’s rest either at lunchtime or in the evening.

It’s hoped that these regulations will help set the standard for the rights of asses around the world (sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Binging in the UK: Part of culture or culture itself?

by Iva Skoch on

Last week in London, I noticed pubs still closed at 11, despite having had the option of applying for a 24-hour drinking license for almost three years now. It just so happens, that the UK released a report last week claiming that the prolonged opening hours didn’t really help curb the “binge-drinking problem” in Britain.

In her column, Sorry I binge responsibly, The Guardian’s Zoe Williams writes about the complicated British culture of binge-drinking, asking herself whether to blame the 60s for destroying a shared understanding of morality, or the 80s for creating the financial disparities that make society functionally meaningless to people anywhere near the bottom, or–her best bet–she offers leftist fiscal explanations.

Whatever causes the Britons to binge-drink, one thing is clear. Liberal licensing laws have not helped much. The average pub in the UK stays open only 21 minutes longer than before (pubs are not interested to apply for licenses). Although crime has gone down slightly, alcohol-related crime, in city centers, has gone up, especially after midnight. Williams writes: “If the relaxation of licensing laws has had any beneficial impact on crime, then perhaps it is to keep burglars in the pub, giving them less time to burgle.”

Photo of the Day (01.29.08)

by Martha Edwards on


I’ve always associated maritime culture with hoards of tourists — a sign that when I head to the shore, I tend to visit places that are far too mainstream and popular. So suffice it to say, I’m no expert on coastal communities but to me, this photo captures the essence of maritime life — isolated, gloomy and yet still take-your-breath-away beautiful. It was taken on Holy Island (also called Lindisfarne) off the shore of Northumberland. Thanks to Our Man Where for sharing.

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