A lesson for all the world

ROYAL WEDDING

We couldn’t resist the invitation to go and watch hit with family, busy with election or not.  Thoroughly enjoyed it, and I thought the filming was excellent how it showed the Abbey.  Our grand daughter had enjoyed making a special Royal Wedding display of Barbie dolls !

The reading from Romans was very moving, and I did think that if the world listened, it really would be the beginning of getting the world put to rights.

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour.

Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

Jimmy Vaughan

Jimmy Vaughan's funeral was today.  I was with Jim on the Council for around 20 years before he retired, I have very fond memories of him, and was so glad that his funeral was a fitting goodbye to him.  Jim was a Labour Councillor in Billingham, and when I was elected in 1981, as the lone Liberal, people from the other parties were certainly not friendly, to put it mildly.  But then in 1983 I read in the press about the proposal to put nuclear waste under Billingham, and Jim was quoted as finding this out, and was launching a campaign agaisnt it.  I too was angry, and was straight on the phone to him offering to help.  From that day on we were friends, and I remamber him as my first friend from another party.  We had a great campaign, forming BAND (Billingham Against Nuclear Dumping) and eventually won the day.
Jim was a former sea man, and loved every chance to take up any related issues, or tell the tale - but that was nothing to his love of nature and the tales he told and scrapes he had got up to.  He was kind, passionate about what he believed in, and a good man.  His spirit has moved on, but those of us left need to continue to have that passionate care and interest he had in the environment.
We are in the middle of a hard fought election, and yet people from all parties, present and former Coucnillors, were there to show their respect for Jim.  It is a reminder - there are other things more important !!

More doorsteps

Every day is more doorsteps, and although the joints are getting weary it is so good to be out there and meeting people, and listening to what they have to say.  I must say that at the beginning of the campaign I was worried about what sort of reception we would get, but I can count on the fingers of one hand how many people have been unwelcoming.  Today our MEP, Fiona Hall came down to meet people too, and that was a big boost to us, she enjoyed meeting a number of people in Elm Tree, and I hope they found it useful too.
The most difficult thing is people saying "goodbye", as retirement draws nearer.  It can be quite emotional.  Being their councillor has not been a job of work, it has been an extension of myself, and really the ward feels as though it is my extended family.

Lies ! illegal immigrants, and egg rolling

Take a look at this link about why we need AV - won't take long, and does put the case well in everyday language.
You get used to lies in politics.  Downright untruths.  But what the NO campaign has been coming out with is the worst example in public that I have seen in nearly 40 years.  It is disgraceful.  If AV does get through, I know who I won't be putting as my second choice !!

I wasn't so cross as not to go out with family and some beautifully decorated eggs (grandchildren, not us did them, needless to say), for some traditional egg rolling which I have done every year since I can remember (and probably before that too) on Easter Monday.

We went to our lovely Ropner Park, and it was a sight to behold.  Spring in action, fresh, lovely flowers and trees and fanilies of all ages enjoying playing, walking and enjoying themselves.  Well worth a visit if you are in or near Stockton, and well run by the Friends of Ropner Park. We had a bit of a surprise though walking where I haven't been for a long time, round the lake.  An interesting looking piece of metal was, we found on the notice nearby, a Bitt - part of the shipping heritage that the Ropner family were famous for and made their money (some of which was well spent on giving Ropner Park to the public!).  Very interesting to see from the informative plaque that Robert Ropner was born in Germany and "stowed away on a shop bound for Hartlepool in 1857". 

So must have been an illegal immigrant, but people don't complain about that do they !!!

Easter

A time of reflection, waiting, renewal and hope.  Something that all can do, whether Christian believers or not.  But a special time for us.  So time taken out of campaigning to do just that, and enjoy time with family.  Writing clues for easter egg hunts can be more demanding than writing leaflets though !

Green for Go

We had started getting complaints about difficulties in using the pedestrian phase to cross the Sainsbury's junction at Whithouse Farm.  People were worried that they did not have time to cross over in one go.  I had tried for myself and saw exactly what they meant.  you press to cross, wait for the green man to come on next to you and start walking across.  I found it frightening, no green man to look at on the way over to see how you were doing.  Was there enough time ? should I start on the middle leg, or even the last leg ?  I was walking badly that day, so only walking slowly.  So Council department was contacted and a site visit arranged.
Today was the site visit.  I had hoped for the necessary changes to be made - but got educated instead!  I had not realised that there were sensors, for instance, that made sure traffic did not start whilst someone was moving on the crossing.  Clever stuff but people need to know.  In the 25 minutes we were there a number of people crossed, and all but 2 picked a time they thought was safe rather than use the crossing. 
We are making sure that we get more information for people and better ways of getting that informatin out to people using the crossing.  It does show the value of asking some questions, and not just worrying about something !

Improving Health ?

Another "last meeting", this being the Health Improvement Partnership, and not only was it my last meeting but the last of this partnership before the new arrangements for the "Health and Wellbeing Board" under the auspices of the Council.  This is part of the new health arrangements, the idea being that Public Health was able to join up better with other Council delivered services.  Very good.  I was under the impression that there would be more democratic input, but from what I saw today, maybe not.  Council Officers - yes.  Councillors - well !
I put in a plea at this meeting for an issue I have been asking a simple question about for the last 3 years (so nobody can blame the coalition for this one).  There is no arthritis support group in Stockton Borough although there is in other areas.  I had been told about these in some detail by Arthritis Care some 3 years ago, and started asking questions.  I have got exactly nowhere.  But then when did helping people to cope with pain tick any boxes.
Whilst it will be more difficult to try to chase whilst not a Councillor, it is not something I intend dropping, so if anyone reading this is thinking I will be well out of the way after May 5th - there are some issues that will not be dropped till resolved !!

So who will work with who to provide the most effective services ?

I was on Look North tonight I heard, the broadcast from when I was in Newcastle last week.  I hope it got some of the right message over - talk about cuts, the TV know how to do that!  I have excelled my own technical lack of skills and found it on i player.  that led me to a link to the Politics Show.  I've listened to the debate with Newcastle politicians, and experienced though I am in listening to other parties, I was quite flabbergasted at what the Labour chap was saying.  The best reason for having a Labour Council was, he said, that a Labour Council could work with other Labour Councils, and you had to be Labour to do that.  WHAT a load of rubbish.  Stockton Council has a coalition cabinet of Labour and Tory, with a Tory leader.  He is managing perfectly well to work on sharing some services with other Labour Councils in the area, particualry Darlington.  And Lib Dems here support moves to cut costs of services and provide them more efficiently.  Is the Newcastle Labour chap saying that further North, Labour will only work with Labour.  Not work with whoever can provide the best service at the best cost to the benefit of the people.  Well that needs to be broadcast wide.

Market Forum. Real people should be given a real say.

Another last, and what a finale.  The Market Forum, where any market trader can come along, and meet with Councillors and Council Officers.  Somehow it has escaped the sanitising and dumbing down that happened to most things in local government under new labour.  It is there in the raw, with robust exchanges, and people saying what they mean.  And how.  There is very understandably a lot of unrest from the market traders (and shoppers) about the proposal to move the market from most of the High Street to just the area between the Town Hall and the Shambles, with some overspill in front of the Castle Centre.  There needs to be some change, as I spelt out at the last meeting, but we have to be realistic about the effects on the market.  At last it came out that there would not be room for all of the present stalls in the proposed set up.
I have proposed that they have "planning for real".  A simple model of the buildings as planned and pieces like you get in the monopoly game that represent present market stalls, and let people try out the different scenarios.  Yes let the people try.  It was said that the technical people could draw up different scenes with their software.  that is no substitute for "planning for real" with real people having some hands on influence.  I'll be seeing from the sidelines what happens - I'm not disappearing !
I won't embarrass anyone by repeating some of the real corkers in the meeting.  But it started with a "declaration of interest" of "horse shit", and ended with a round of applause of thanks for myself and other retiring councillors.

Walkabout

My last estate walkabout, which is rather sad as I have always felt these were very fruitful, and working together at its best.  Not everyone was able to be there today, but my camera and e-mail can soon bridge that gap, and pictures of rubbish, broken paving and such soon wing there way to relevant in boxes.  We were able to meet and listen to some residents to hear some of their issues, and see first hand some of the problems that the Tristar officers needed to look at.  I was reminded why I needed to retire as I could hardly put one foot in front of the other at the end, but the day was really lightened by the pleasure of seeing the lovely daffodils we had planted out of our ward budget on the estate.  And replanted when some youngsters had other ideas !

Bonanza for Tees Valley

Hooray.  Lots of money from the Government for projects in Tees Valley that are going to provide real  jobs, and a real future for people and the area.  We got a bigger slice of the Regional Growth Fund than most areas in the country.  There is lots of bad news around, let us celebrate what is good.

more elections

No politics today.  Church and the Church AGM and its elections.  However no contests !  I have put forward to be on the Deanery Synod - a sort of Council covering the Stockton area north of the river.  There are difficult and challenging times ahead (not connected with Governments and politics!) and I hope to be able to put some of the knowledge and skills I've built up to some good use there.

why become a councillor

campaigning most of the day, but time for a quick picnic lunch in Newham Grange Park.  I am immensly proud of the huge improvement in the Park - made by working with the Friends of the Park, that I got together many years ago.  As we sat there in the sun, Julia and I reminded Elliot what all of this campaigning led to if succesful - the chance to make real improvements like this.

some success against the giant

Vodaphone get away with much, and local residents have no say about location of masts.  however a very pleased Elliot is celebrating getting them to clean up the box next to the mast on Darlington Lane, AND they will pay for some more spring bulbs in the area !

Launch of NE Lib Dems local election campaign

Some excitement as I go up to Newcastle for the launch, with Andrew Stunell MP, Minister in the Communities and Local Government Department.  Times might be rocky and difficult now, but massive progress from when I first met Andrew.  He came to our house very many years ago when our Council group had crept up from one to two, and we were in balance of power.  Andrew then worked for the Association of Liberal Councillors.  Newcastle only had a few Coucnillors at that time, and now they are very succesfully running the Council.  I was immensly proud as their Deputy Leader, Cllr Anita Lower spoke of their succeses.

I was reminded of the result of Andrew's visit to Stockton in 1985.  We had a plan for a proper, democratic balanced way of running the Council.  What happened - Labour and Tories ganged up together.  Hmmm !!

Hope from "The Help"

After today's "last" - Elm Tree Community Centre meeting, it was a night off from campaigning and the book club I go to with lovely non political friends.  this months book was "The Help".  An inspirational story about black maids working for white women as recently as the 1960's.  The part of the book that really moved me was how brave those maids were that put their working lives, families, and even maybe their lives in danger by daring to tell their stories.  Even though it was anonymous.  Their courage was part of that of many others who made the difference in the Civil Rights movement in America at that time.
It brought to mind "Wake up a Devil in the Dark" (I wrote about this on 20th February) being worked on right now, where asylum seekers removed to DRC are writing their stories on how they have been treated on their forced return.  Again they are writing anonymously,again they are taking a huge risk though.  I only hope that as in "The Hope" it has the right impact.

Hardwick Dene and some reminiscing

The last today is the Hardwick Dene meeting, where we work on making the Dene an attractive and soundly environmentally natural area.  I feel it is something of a miracle that we have this on the edge of one of the most deprived wards in the country, and there is a lot to be proud of - and lots more work to do !
After the meeting we were recalling early days.  I first turned up many years ago becuase of concerns around mud on the road by new delvelopments, and in no time at all was involved in the much more positive work around The Dene.  The biggest achievement was saving the wildlife meadow in what is now in our ward, and stopping the Council from building on this rare area with its lovely flowers, butterflys and moths.  I could write a little book about that episode - maybe when I retire I'll do some blog stories of some of the battles, this one thankfully being won.

my last BAR

The last meeting I'll be going to as Councillor for Bishopsgarth Association of Residents (BAR), preceded by the last ward surgery in Bishopsgarth (lots of lasts!).
An example of what a good ward surgery can be.  Parents and grandparent of a young person who has been going to Sainsbury's car park to be with friends and skateboarding etc, worried about harrassment and being moved on by police.  The police were there, and a very good exchanging of views and information that we could all take part in, in moving forward to some solutions.  We have all got some work to do, and it is good we are going in the same direction.
Then the BAR meeting.  the big Buz is about the planned new play park in Bishopsgarth.  When we started BAR 6 years ago it was all about traffic calming, but with that done and in place so much more has happened, with Bishopsgarth being much better looking with environmental improvements.  the icing on the cake though is the play area that we hope is going to start very soon indeed.  Another example of what can be achieved if we can work together.

croak croak

oh dear, I'm nearly speechless now.  Still able to get on with things, and hte coughing and spluttering was when I read a certain piece of literature put through some people's doors.  I'll say no more for now ...

cough cough

Oh dear, a dreaded lurgy kept me off the streets.  Don't worry though - lots of campaigning able to be done from inside !