Welcome one, Welcome All!

A belated hello to the two latest additions to the Shiraz team, Wanderslore and Larrycain!

Wanderslore is a former Marxist turned lefty Christian, with many a tale to tell about her time in the Militant Tendency in the 1980s. She's apparently sympathetic to, but has not signed, the Euston Manifesto - see, I might blast you guys but I do give you a bite of the cherry too. And before anyone asks, no she's not here just so's we can say Shiraz has a member who's more right-wing than Jim!

As with all of us, Wanderslore is here to amuse, entertain and infuriate you. She is, as she has said, a "virgin" blogger, so please be kind to her for, oooh, a couple of posts.

Larrycain is a former Socialist Party full timer who is still a regular feature of that party's activity in one of its urban strongholds. Remarkably young for a Trotskyite "veteran", he nevertheless knows more about Papua New Guinean Stalinist groups than any man should. An inveterate sectariana hunter and wit about town, his raconteurish ways will undoubtedly entrance the trainspotter tendency that I know exists amongst some of you, my dear and cherished readers.

It would seem that they've mind-melded already, posting simultaneous obituaries to Ted Grant (yes folks, you saw it here first - the new sport of synchronised obit writing!). An excellent team building exercise, if ever there was one.

Welcome one, welcome all!