North Road---
18 Oct 2008
The Northern Echo has a fantastic history, once a renowned and respected provider of daily news. Nowadays however this once great North East institution seems more "tabloid" in style than ever. This was brought home to me quite abruptly yesterday morning when I read the rather less than inspiring headline of "ludicrous". The story (I use the term loosely) referred to the recently sacked Darlington (North Road) Independant Councillor Steve Jones.
Steve unfortunately failed to attend several council meetings resulting in him being essentially "sacked". I have known Steve for quite some time and know for a fact that he has done a lot of good work for Darlington and the people of Darlington.
The Northern Echo quote of "ludicrous" was made by one of Steve's ward collagues, Lib Dem Cllr Mike Barker. Mike's comments have to be taken in context of course...the Lib Dem's are particuarly desperate to win back the seat in North Road and as we all know, Lib Dem campaigning techniques do often include an "anything goes" element, be it an unprovoked personal attack such as this, or indeed something less creative such as the infamous "it's a two horse race" strategy.
It is true that the resulting by-election will indeed cost Darlington Borough Council several thousands of pounds to stage. I'm not sure where the £11,000 quoted from in the Echo piece originated, but assuming this is correct it does raise an interesting question....
Given that we live in a free and democratic society, how much should we pay for democracy? How much is too expensive?
Whatever the reaons are that Steve has decided to stand again in the upcoming by-election, one thing is very clear....it'll be the residents of North Road ward who decide who should be councillor....not a Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate or indeed a newspaper editor.
I'm also left wondering if the Northern Echo would have ran such a clearly slanted story if the offending councillor in question had been a member of the Labour group as opposed to independant. Maybe time will tell.
Big Brother Audition---
15 Oct 2008
First shock of the week....Gill was evicted from "I'm a Councillor, Get Me Out Of Here" (I shouldn't laugh) on Monday. Suffice to say she was a bit upset being the least popular of the 6 councillors taking part (not wishing to rub it in), and I can officially announce she has shelved her plans to apply to this years Big Brother.
Second shock of the week....occurred today actually. Having just read the excellent new Blog of Peter Barron, Editor of the Northern Echo, a headline on the Northern Echo website caught my eye - "Petrol price war raging on region's forecourts". Apparently the price of a litre of unleaded fuel has been slashed to under £1 on some of the regions forecourts. This is obviously fantastic news to all motorists, at a time when we are all being hit with substantial rises in our fuel bills (see Gills blog!) though I suspect it wont remain at this low level for long.
Third shock of the week...."Sex and the Women's Institute" - back to Peter Barron's blog again....I'm not even going to try and explain, click the link and read for yourself!
Too Little Too Late---
21 Sep 2008 First of all...apologies (again) for not blogging recently...however "I always want to do better and I will do better".
Amid the ever hardening credit crunch and the general feeling of doom that seems to be affecting the UK at the moment, it's reassuring to know that our disaster prone PM has also said today that "I always want to do better and I will do better".
In an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show today, Mr Brown also suggested that the best way to deal with the "economic storm" (always best to avoid the nasty words) was to face it, and "demonstrate judgement and demonstrate wisdom". In the same interview, Mr Brown also suggested he was a "pretty ordinary guy" (if you have to say it, then you 'aint) and that after 10 years in the treasury he was best qualified to deal with the international financial crisis.
Am I missing something here?
Firstly, I would have assumed that during his "10 years at the treasury", it would have been possible to plan ahead for a "rainy day", and thus weather the current "economic storm".
Secondly, later in the interview he suggested that the problems could not be dealt with "through soundbites and slogans".....given that new Labour consists of little else except spin, soundbites and slogans, it seems that it's only a matter of time before the current economic storm becomes a full blown hurricane...though I suspect the old classic "it's not our fault, it's a worldwide problem" line shall be shouted ever louder from number 10.
Anyway, there’s no need for anyone to worry....Gordon has promised today he wants to do better....indeed soundbites and slogans are not required, but an old phrase seems apt for Gordon...."too little, too late".
Whose portfolio is it anyway?---
14 Aug 2008 "Oh dear, it seems Gill and I have upset and thus have to suffer the wrath of the increasingly belligerent Cllr Nick Wallis. It seems that inline with Darlington Labour party policy, he has decided to attack us for representing our residents views concerning the recent bus service cuts which have affected Harrowgate Hill. Well, of all the potentially dastardly crimes I could have been accused of as an elected member of the council, representing residents seems one I am willing to concede.
What is really interesting regarding this latest "toy throwing out of pram" display is that oddly the hapless Cllr Wallis has seemingly forgotten which portfolio he is currently responsible for...if memory serves I beleive it to be "Sustainable Environment & Climate Change", or is it "Health" or is it in fact "Transport"....sheesh, given the amount of times it has changed in 12 months, it's easy to see how he has become confused and thus commented publically on Cllr Lyonette's portfolio (who interestingly has barely commented on this important issue).
Or is politically ambitious Nick's latest little outburst indicative of something more significant, perhaps part of a larger plan to increase his own profile (at any cost)......maybe Council Leader John Williams should be wary.....
Brown Sunset---
28 Jul 2008
Having spent last week on holiday in Norfolk, I found it somewhat challenging to leave my bed this morning and make my way back to work through the somewhat dense fog which had settled during the night. It's fair to say that motivation was certainly lacking.
Mind you, I really shouldn't complain.....Gordon "monotone" Brown, who is also holidaying in Suffolk/Norfolk, has far more to be glum about....and he is still on holiday! A disastrous result in Glasgow East last week and his "close" cabinet colleagues apparently conspiring against him are less than satisfactory circumstances for a restful holiday. Even a group of teenagers who Gordon was pictured with yesterday stated that their "street cred would be reduced to zero" by being pictured with the PM (as reported in The Times today).
Speaking as a regular visitor to Norfolk, I would suggest Gordon visits Cromer at dusk and witnesses the fantastic golden sunset. On a clear evening, sat on the pier, the views of this spectacle are simply breathtaking. After all it does seem fitting given that he is seemingly in the twilight days of his premiership.
Alan Milburn MP (Missing Person?)---
24 Jun 2008
I was surprised to discover that our ever absent town MP Alan Milburn has decided to once again grace us with his presence, even if it is only "virtually" via his (until recently) defunct website.
I blogged sometime ago regarding the fact that Alan's website was somewhat lacking content - in fact when it was accessed a message along the lines of "website now closed" was displayed. Obviously, hardly ideal for such a "hard working" MP (as he proclaims). Obviously though, It's good to know that Alan reads my blog and has now reinstated his website!
It is interesting to read upon his newly created website some of the work he is carrying out on behalf of the residents of Darlington. In particular within the "My work in Darlington" section which lists 13 visits Alan has apparently made to various areas of Darlington. Quite deliberately I suspect, he has ommitted to include dates for each of his visits. A quick Google of the last and thus presumably the earliest visit in the list (Age Concern) shows that this particular event happened in June 2007.
Therefore assuming this is a complete list of his attendance in Darlington (and why wouldnt it be on a newly created website), Alan has visited Darlington on average, a maximum of one day a month during the past year.
Given some of the significant issues that have affected the town over the past twelve months, (Post Office closures, pensioner bus pass u-turn, the millions wasted on overspends) such a low attendance in the town is simply not good enough and I would suggest that if Alan is not prepared to represest the residents of Darlington properly, he should resign and allow people to chose a more effective successor.
Labour Council Leader John Williams comment last week regarding Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Edward Legard ["Mr Legard doesn't live in Darlington, he doesn't know Darlington and he doesn't understand local concerns and issues."] now seems somewhat bizarre considering Alan Milburns poor attendance in the town and Alan’s lack of comment or action regarding issues affecting the town. Perhaps John Williams needs to ask himself if his Parliamentary Labour colleague knows as much as he should about issues affecting the town.
Cameron Direct---
13 Jun 2008 "Who was it who said "it's good to talk"? It is certainly a fair statement, but perhaps if you are involved in politics, perhaps its also good to listen occasionally?
We hear a lot these days, about politicians wanting to "engage with the electorate" and to demonstrate that they "really are listening to the man on the street". Sadly though this "listening" and "engagement" rarely translates into action. A great example of this is the "Talking Together" events which have taken place in Darlington....plenty of "listening", but unfortunately little action (pensioners bus passes being a case in point).
As if to provide at least a partial remedy to this age old problem, Tory Leader David Cameron has created Cameron Direct , sessions which take place allowing members of the public to ask questions and comment directly to the party leader.
Last night was the second "Cameron Direct" event, whereby David took questions directly from an audience of approximately 150 people. The event was completely unscripted and took place in Truro, Cornwall. It was broadcast live on the internet and is available to view now online.
I must admit, initially I was somewhat skeptical that perhaps this session was a "setup" and the members of the audience were in fact hand picked Tory supporters. This theory was soon dismissed after a series of tough questions from audience members, which Cameron responded to in his usual slick, professional manner providing robust answers to sometimes challenging questions. The question that really confirmed this was indeed a genuine random audience was that from a Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate, concerning David Davies resignation!
In the current climate of voter apathy in the UK it's great to see at least one major party engaging directly with the electorate, maybe the rest will follow suit?
Maybe MP's will adopt the same strategy? It would be great to see Darlington MP Alan Milburn taking questions directly from members of the public. Mind you, he would obviously have to take time from his busy schedule to visit the town in the first place, so perhaps this is a little unrealistic........
Nick, You're Fired!---
12 Jun 2008 "Lee, You're Hired!" - a phrase I wasnt expecting to hear Alan Sugar utter last night during the final episode of the BBC's Apprentice series.
Claire was clearly the better candidate, seemingly more articulate, a great team leader, fantastic under pressure and always cool, calm and collected, unlike Lee who lost his cool on several occasions. If Claire hadn't calmed Lee down prior to his presentation, he could very well have gone to pieces and lost!
The result of this gripping series was almost as surprising as reading in the Northern Echo yesterday that Council Leader John Williams has decided that the plan to modernise the Council Chamber is to be shelved or at the very least, scaled down. If only he had exercised such financial control during the Pedestrian Heart fiasco or indeed the Eastern Transport Corridoor debacle, both of which had overspends of several million pounds.
Perhaps John Williams should adopt a stance similar to Alan Sugar throughout the Apprentice series and start holding to account Cabinet Members for their inept performances. The Eastern Transport Corridoor fiasco would seem a good place to start...."Nick [Wallis], you're fired".
Warning: Wet Road---
02 Jun 2008 Ordinarily, sitting in a field, by the side of a road, watching cars go by whilst getting absolutely soaked due to the ever moist British weather wouldn't be my ideal method of spending a Sunday!
However, if the road in question happens to be the fantastic Croft Circuit, then I tend to make an exception!
Last weekend saw the F1 beating (in my opinion) British Touring Car Championship visit Croft Circuit. For those of you who aren't motor racing fans, "Touring Cars" are essentially an exciting version of Formula 1...with cars that you actually recognise such as Vauxhall Vectra's, BMW's and Seat Leon's to name but a few. Couple this with some VERY close racing and you have the recipe for a fantastic days racing. Compare this to the procession like nature of modern F1 and I'm sure you understand my point.
The first race on Sunday took place amid a torrential downpour which resulted in cars involuntarily leaving the track in abundance! After only 2 laps and several accidents, the race was abandoned. It later transpired that unfortunately a safety marshall was injured when one of the cars hit him whilst he attended to another crashed vehicle. According to todays Northern Echo he did fortunately escape serious injury.
Being a budding amateur photographer, I took my ever trusty camera along hoping to catch some of the on track action. As always I applied my less than expert approach of taking several hundred photos, in the hope that at least one or two will turn out to be half decent. Much to my annoyance, I have yet to work out exactly what all the buttons do on my camera, but at least I was able to vary the shutter speed yesterday to reduce blur, resulting in at least a handful of photo's I was pleased with.
It's been a couple of years since I last visited Croft to attend a large race meeting and was very impressed with how well organised the circuit has become in terms of managing the large numbers of spectators both entering the circuit at the start of the day and obviously leaving the circuit at the end of the day. The massive queues both in and out often resulted in many hours sat in a car making little progress, so it's great to see this issue has been addressed.
Despite risking the onset of man flu as a result of being thoroughly soaked, a most enjoyable day was had by all.
Highlights from Croft will be shown next Saturday on either ITV1 or ITV4.
What a scorcher---
10 May 2008 "Wow, what a scorcher", is often how the tabloids like to describe the weather on a day like today. Apt indeed, as I sit here typing this I rather wish I had used some sun block as my face, legs and arms currently feel like they are radiating heat at such a rate as to speed up global warming! Better not say that too loudly as some Labour politician will no doubt slap a "green" tax on me!
Having spent the afternoon strolling along Redcar/Saltburn beach with Gill and Daisy, it now seems that the gentle cool sea breeze lulled me into a false sense of security!
Never the less, still a goodtime enjoyed by all - particularly Daisy, who spent most of the afternoon making friends and playing with other Labrador's as well as other dogs of various descriptions, in between almost swimming in the sea. She has yet to master the art of swimming, though she came close today after being caught out by a couple of waves.
Now for the rant - why is it, despite it being a fantastic day and there being copious amounts of people visiting, do Redcar and Cleveland Council insist on closing most of the public toilets at 4pm? For that matter, why do lots of Councils (often in tourism areas) insist on closing public toilets so early? Or indeed not open them at all on weekends)?
Given that we are constantly hearing of our seaside resorts being in decline, surely the least Council's can do is leave the bogs open? Admittedly this alone may not attract visitors who would normally fly away to warmer climes, but it would be a step in the right direction.
Anyway, as for my previous questions...answers please on a postcard (preferably seaside themed!).
Au Revoir Labour---
06 May 2008
They say "there is one born every minute".....I am told that one Labour Councillor in Darlington "had a smile on their face" after the Local Elections last week, however I suspect most of his colleagues did not! Labour faired disastrously last week, losing in excess of 300 seats country wide. Obviously I shouldn't gloat...
It would take a seriously supercilious Labour Politian to put a positive spin on such a catastrophic result...
Notably Cllr Wallis' Blog has been somewhat lacking in it's usual Labour based propaganda as of late - he seems more comfortable commenting on a combination of birds, Top Gear hosts and most notably French markets!
Of particular interest was Wallis' posting at 11:35pm on Friday night within which he chose to comment on the fact that the French market was "back until Sunday". Nothing wrong with that you maybe thinking....as a Darlington Councillor myself, I would indeed agree and commend Cllr Wallis for promoting such an excellent event...
...however I could not help but wonder if Nick was planning a slightly different blog, so late on a Friday night - given that at about this time the announcement was being made regarding Boris being elected as the new Mayor of London...perhaps the "congratulations Ken" blog had to be scrapped and replaced by something a little less optimistic...
Man Tax---
15 Apr 2008 I remember fondly buying my first car...a blue Ford Sierra Sapphire on a 'J' plate. However, I remember less fondly paying the somewhat significant sum of 800 pounds to insure it for one year, 3rd party!
Reaching the grand old age of 35 has it seems, at least one advantage - when I started the annual ritual of searching for insurance quotes last night, I was happy to discover that my insurance for the coming year is likely to be in the region of 360 pounds.
Suffice to say I was more than happy with this. I automatically assumed that because I have been driving for a significant number of years without (on the whole) any insurance "incidents" I am recognised by the insurance company to be a half decent driver.
How wrong was I? Apparently I am rewarded with a cheaper quote because wifey Gill drives the car some of the time! Literally the quote was increased by 150 pounds when I REMOVED Gill as a named driver on my policy.
This seems bizarre on the face of it, but there are some statistics that do suggest women make fewer insurance claims, of less value than men and so perhaps this "man charge" can at least be justified.
What is less clear however is why my car tax is now almost as expensive as my insurance. The car tax for an average car such as a Ford Mondeo is to rise from the current 210 quid per year to 300 quid per year from next March. The latest increase in car tax was of course announced as a "tax on gas guzzlers" - I suspect most drivers of Mondeo's didn't realise they drove a planet killing "guzzler of gas", imagining instead that the tax would only hit large vehicles such as 4x4's etc.
Of course, in the interest of balance, I should point out that if you are one of the 14 people in the UK that owns a car tax "Band A or B" car then you will pay no car tax. Unfortunately though the rest of us several million motorists will have to suffer an increase in car tax.
To check what car tax will cost you next year, Click Here.
"A picture speaks a thousand words" so they say, or in this case just one.....knackered!
As reported yesterday in The Sunday Times, Mr B's personal rating has plunged further and faster than any other British leader since political polling began! That's quite an achievement for a PM who has been in post for less than 1 year.
However, should we really be surprised that the british public are losing faith in the PM whom they didn't vote for? Probably not. What is more surprising is the apparent splits and cracks which are starting to appear within the once indestructible Labour machine. Ed Balls being forced to deny that he was running a secret leadership campaign and the ever growing rebellion against the appauling abolition of 10p starting rate of income tax, are two examples that spring to mind.
Of course more seasoned (Labour) politicians would argue that political polls of this nature should be taken with a pinch of salt....but the ultimate test is just on the horizon, with local council elections taking place in 135 English Local Authorities in a few weeks.
Miss Bimbo website---
25 Mar 2008 Reading today's TimesOnline I came across a rather intrigueing headline - Outrage at Miss Bimbo website
Not knowing quite what to expect I continued reading the article which I expected to contain the latest incarnation of the old "hate thy internet" story which often appears in the media on a virtually daily basis in the UK.
I was however somewhat surprised to discover however, that this oddly titled "Miss Bimbo" website is actually aimed at 9 to 16 year old girls. What was even more surprising further into the article was the suggestion that this is "a website that encourages girls as young as 9 to embrace plastic surgery and extreme dieting". The website (according to the Times) encourages players to compete against other children to earn "bimbo dollars" to buy plastic surgery, diet pills, facelifts, lingerie and fashionable nightclub outfits.
The "online" world is certainly a weird and wonderful place, often a double edged sword - a critical part of our everyday life yet conversely full of potential dangers and nastiness - or at least it is when viewed through the eyes of an adult.
For today's young however, it is simply a way of life. Whether it's MSN Messenger, Facebook, Second Life or one of the other ever growing list of online resources, the internet offers today's young people a chance to escape the everyday pressures, as well as a simple way to communicate and express themselves. The internet also offers fantastic opportunities from a educational perspective - an infinite resource available 24/7.
So how do we, as a society, overcome the potential pitfalls that inevitably accompany an unrestricted internet. We could stop kids from accessing the internet - though this would be denying them a fantastic resource. We could implement China's model of internet censorship? This would possibly be the model favored by some Labour politicians! (sorry couldn't resist).
How about a more radical solution? Educate kids to access the internet safely!
Schools are already relatively safe environments from which children can access the internet due in no small part to the technically complex filtering systems currently employed within most Local Authorities. Schools are also now devising methods of educating kids in the art of "safe surfing", enforcing the idea of not revealing there identities to strangers, not publishing pictures of themselves on social networking sites etc.
Unfortunately though, home PC's are rarely as well protected and this is were problems can occur. Until recently, little information was available to parents to help them create a safe "online" environment at home. Now though, plenty of information is available - see the links below. Measures as simple as positioning the home PC in a living room to allow parents to see exactly what their son and daughter are upto or installing software on the PC to prevent access to specific websites or types of website can both have a dramatic effect on "esafety".
So should we worried about kids accessing sites such a "Miss Bimbo"? That's for you as a parent to decide!
Northern Decision Makers---
01 Mar 2008
The latest edition of Northern Decision Makers is now online!
For those who dont know, this a 20 minute discussion programme about politics and issues affecting the North of England. Hosted by Graham Robb (Conservative) and Nick Wallis (Labour), the first episode proved very successful, with viewing figures reaching almost 1000.
This month guests include Cath Purdey, the Chief Executive of Hartlepool Housing and North East MEP Martin Callanan - who does an excellent job of demolishing Nick's case! (worth a look for that alone!).
Next months episode will feature Darlington MP Alan Milburn for the full 20 minute episode and Graham and Nick would like to take viewers questions. Send your questions to comment@broadbandtvchannel.co.uk
The Woman Who Stops Traffic---
27 Feb 2008 Every now and again a programme appears on TV which results in me shouting at the TV - I initially thought last night would be one such occasion. The Woman Who Stops Traffic was shown on Channel 4 at 9pm last night and chronicled one womans attempt to encourage the residents of the Buckinghamshire town of Marlow to "ditch the car" in favour of more environmentally friendly modes of transport.
Being a car enthusiast (couldn't claim to be a "petrol head" as I have never owned an Alfa Romeo) I am always worried by anyone who dictates that we are killing our planet by simply driving to work. Typically this is a message that we hear all to often nowadays, usually from government and usually in the same breath as subtly mentioning that some form of car related taxation (and there are many nowadays) will be increasing! It seems to me that usually these "eco friendly" measures are often little more than revenue generating stealth taxes that have no direct result on reducing carbon emissions or helping the environment in any way, shape or form.
What struck me as different about last nights programme, was the idea of actually using a carrot approach to the problem of our love affair with the car as opposed to the usual approach of wielding a big stick!
We all know our roads are congested and we all know that global warming is a serious threat, however it seems that traditional approaches of taxing us out of our cars is failing - car usage continues to rise on a yearly basis despite our cars being more expensive than ever to own!
Ultimately the people of Marlow did make an effort to go car free for one day and a lot of those promised to go car free for at least one day every week from that point onwards! A Council official confirmed that on the day in question, car usage seemed to be down by as much as 40%! Quite an achievement for a town with one of the highest car ownership rates in the country.
So despite my initial concerns, I found myself not shouting at the TV, but considering dusting off my less than extensively used bike! (though I draw the line at wearing lycra).
Has Cllr Dixon seen the light?---
17 Feb 2008 The temptation is great to run a "Caption Competition" for the image opposite, however I shall try to refrain!
As you may have read in our News section, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Edward Legard was out and about in Darlington yesterday (16th Feb) visiting some soon to be closed sub Post Offices and later, meeting members of the public in Darlington Town Centre "Pedestrian Heart".
Whilst we walked along High Row who should appear but Deputy Labour Group Leader, Cllr Bill Dixon. Unfortunately I didn't hear the conversation which took place between Edward and Bill....perhaps Cllr Dixon was requesting a transfer to the winning team?
Regardless of the content of the conversation though, I suspect that Cllr Dixon will no doubt be feeding back to the Labour group that Darlingtons next MP was in town.....and perhaps he will suggest that it maybe worthwhile for the current (and permenantly absent) MP to make an appearance!
Perhaps instead of a caption comptition I should have a different competition, maybe "spot the Alan Milburn competition"? Now that would be a serious challenge!
A Green Lib Dem?---
04 Feb 2008 Everyone knows that recycling is important and the Lib Dems seem to be no exception. Sadly though, it seems Darlington the Lib Dems are developing a habit of recycling material that isn't always there own!
A classic piece of Lib Dem recycling could be read in the Northern Echo (2nd Feb 2008) when Cllr Martin Swainston openly criticised the less than democratic way that the Labour governed Darlington Council currently operates. He makes a very compelling case, however so did the Conservative Group when we originally raised this issue last summer!
Last summers full statement issued by Darlington Conservatives concerning proposals for reform can be found here, as well as at www.DarlingtonFuture.co.uk
....but if you are a Lib Dem, you probably already knew that!
Belly Dancing and Daisy---
02 Feb 2008 What an interesting and slightly bizarre week....
I tripped over a Daisy last Sunday (resulting in a gash to my head) and Thursday had an even odder experience....imagining Cllr Nick Wallis belly dancing!
Before you ask, no I havent been on any strong medication recently! Allow me to explain my somewhat bizarre opening statement.....
Firstly, Daisy is our 17 week old Labrador puppy. She is, to say the least, lively....and this contributed significantly to my head making contact with the concrete path at the front of our house last Sunday. Suffice to say it hurt!
Secondly, January's full council meeting took place on Thursday. I left the meeting with an image in my head which disturbed me greatly....Cllr Nick Wallis Belly Dancing! Perhaps I should elaborate further....Nick wasnt actually present at the meeting, but Conservative Group Leader Cllr Heather Scott asked a question pertaining to Nick's Portfolio (Health and Leisure). She asked if Nick took part in any of the activities promoted within his report, in particular Belly Dancing. Unfortunately, in Nick's absence Cllr Williams was unable to answer this rather disturbing question, but I for one look forward to Nicks reponse!
Northern Decision Makers---
01 Feb 2008
Just a quick note to say well done to Graham Robb and Nick Wallis on the production of a discussion programme "Northern Decision Makers".
The 20 minute programme is primarily aimed at people interested in the issues and politics affecting the North of England.
Guests on this months edition include Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, Michael Bates and Simon Henig, Labour Councillor and lecturer in politics at Sunderland University.
Peeping Tom---
10 Sep 2007
Contrary to reports on certain blogs, I can state categorically that I do not have long flowing locks of beautiful hair (chance would be a fine thing...at my age hair loss is already a real and present danger!).
I also unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to ride upon a white horse in Darlington Town Centre on Saturday.
Regarding plastic surgery...no comment.
One person who does have said hair and did ride a white stallion through our fair streets on Saturday was Jane Bowman. Accompanied by members of the "Mayor For Darlington" group they re-enacted the famous Lady Godiva legend. The whole idea being to demonstrate that one person can make a significant difference to a population, as I have no doubts an elected Mayor would.
Of course, one is left to ponder, who of the councillors in Darlington could have successfully played the part of the other infamous character from the Godiva legend..."peeping Tom". Tom, as legend has it, bore a hole in his shutters in an attempt to catch sight of the naked Lady Godiva as she rode past....unfortunately for Tom however he was struck down with blindness as a direct result of disobeying the direct instruction not to look at Godiva.
Hmm, I have it on good authority that not so happy camper Nick Wallis was in the opticians on Saturday...
...mind you a member of the Labour group willing to disagree with it's leadership...now that would be legendry and a little too much airing towards pure fiction also.
Elected Mayor or Status Quo?---
07 Sep 2007 Having campaigned hard to save the landmark White Horse pub/hotel and being involved with the "Darlington Referenddum" group, some had labeled Gill and I "activists" prior to being elected in May.
I remember having mixed feelings about this label, until I considered its definition - "someone disposed to take action or effectuate change". Basically we were dissatisfied with decisions being made in our town, so decided to do something about it! Hardly a bad thing!
I have heard recently the same title being applied to members of the Elected Mayor "YES Campaign" group.
Well in my mind if "activists" are needed to bring about a more democratically and ultimately accountable council, then so be it.
Perhaps it is a reflection of society today that people in the UK are conditioned to accept status quo. A status quo that in Darlington manifested itself in the form of the Hurworth School fiasco, huge overspends on the controversial pedestrian heart scheme and almost the loss of the landmark White Horse, to name but a few.
What we must all consider when we vote on September 27th is not so much whether we want an elected mayor, but whether we are prepared to accept the current status quo.
Perhaps then on September 27th, the majority of the population of Darlington will become activists?
Mayor Awareness---
21 Aug 2007
Just a quick note to say that we have just discovered that tonights Harrowgate Hill Mayoral Awareness Session has been postponed and will now take place tomorrow (Wednesday 22nd August at 6pm). Harrowgate Hill News - Mayor Awareness Session
Video Killed the Radio Star---
20 Aug 2007
Darlington Tory, David Davies caused me to laugh out loud this morning whilst I watched the now infamous "chav hunting" video (which Dave has included on his blog). The "controversial" video appeared on YouTube last week. See Dave's blog for more about this.
In stark contrast, I have just watched another YouTube video which I came across on the excellent Alzheimers Society website. The Society are currently running a campaign to highlight the misery suffered by dementia sufferers in the UK today. They are encouraging people to upload videos to help spread the message about dementia. Linda Hayes from Southampton has done just that. Her story is one typical of dementia sufferers in the UK today....click here to watch the video.
The two videos demonstrate how nowadays, anyone can make a video and instantly have a world wide audience, something that could only be dreamt of by would be film makers of only a few years ago.
David Cameron embraced the YouTube phenomenum sometime ago and reguarly produces videos which are published at www.Conservatives.tv and www.WebCameron.org.uk. Graham Robb (Tory Sedgefield Candidate) recently used this medium to good effect also during the recent election.
Strangely though I dont think I have come across any such videos by Gordon Brown....mind you, perhaps Gordon has, as they say, a face for radio!
Carry on Wallis---
18 Aug 2007 They say a week in politics can be a lifetime, not so this week, the days have flown by.
Two highlights this week for me were.....
Firstly, a raft of announcements from the Conservatives, including Shadow Chancellor George Osborne announcing that Conservatives "will consider tax cuts". Obviously no bad thing - and I'm fairly confident most of the electorate would agree with me....unless of course you are a Labour spokesperson in which case you would predictably suggest the proposals would create a financial "black hole". The fact remains though that despite Labour's pre-election promise of no tax increases, various stealth taxes have crept into our lives. Of course, if we had all noticed a massive improvement in public services, the NHS etc then perhaps the tax increases could be justified...unfortunately though this is not the case. Read more about the Conservative proposals here .
Secondly and maybe more disturbing this week was the announcement by Labour Councillor Nick Wallis that he is going camping!
I wonder if Nick is camping in traditional Tory territory (as new Labour tend to)?
Harrowgate Hill Newsletter---
17 Aug 2007
Just a quick note to say the very first (as far as I know) Conservative Harrowgate Hill Newsletter has been published!
More Labour "dirty tricks"---
16 Aug 2007
According to an article on the BBC News 24 website today, Labour are up to their dirty tricks once again - remember the ambush of David Cameron at Newton Aycliffe during the recent Sedgefield election?. Or indeed the ambush of the Lib Dem candidate at the Lib Dems Sedgefield launch?
It seems that this time "Labour supporters" are trying to hijack the Conservative "open primaries" which are intended to give Londoners the chance to have a say in choosing the Tory canadidate for the 2008 London Mayoral elections.
Conservatives have invited the people of London to get involved in the selection of a Conservative Mayoral candidate, by registering with the Party by using a special election line.
A BBC article suggests that Labour supporters have been contacted and asked to call the election line and vote for candidates other than Boris Johnson. Boris is seen by many as a strong candidate due to his high profile within the UK. Labour beleive that if they can skew the vote they can ensure that Ken Livingstone is re-elected.
Fortunetaly though it seems that this contingency had already been considered and safeguards put in place by the Conservatives. Various anti-fraud measures are in place that would enable detection of any significant attempt to skew the vote.
One is left wondering though what other under hand tactics so called "Labour supporters" are prepared to adopt in an attempt to win elections.....
Flats in the countryside?---
15 Aug 2007
Everyone agrees that affordable housing is sadly lacking in the UK today, so Gordon Brown's promise that 3 million homes will be built by 2020 was seen by many as a positive way forward to tackle this ever worsening problem.
He also suggested in his statement last month that the new homes would be built mainly on brown field sites, ie previously developed sites.
However it seems today that Mr Brown may have seriously mis-calculated (slightly worrying given his previous role!).
A Social Market Foundation study claims that 2 million homes would need to be built on undeveloped countryside or green belt around cities and towns.
The report also highlighted that the total suggested by Brown of 3 million homes would need to be the minimum number built and suggested it was highly likely that more would be required.
In response to the SMF report, Housing and Planning minister Baroness Andrews said "the government beleived it was possible to build the homes needed by future generations while protecting the environment and green spaces".
Another typical "bury one's head" spin driven statement from the Baroness I feel. Applying the same blind faith as the Baroness, perhaps if I "believe" I will win the lottery tonight, I will be a millionaire tomorrow.
Obesity, Cars and CO2---
13 Aug 2007
What do obesity, cars and carbon dioxide emissions have in common?
The answer...Schools!
The Institute for European Environmental Policy (www.ieep.eu) have suggested today that there is direct link between the rise in obesity and increased car use. Apparently, 40% of all journeys in the UK are under 2 miles.
A suggestion made by the IEEP is that a car exclusion zone should be created around schools in an attempt to reduce the amount of unnecessary car journeys and thus encourage pupils to walk to school. I'm not too sure how practical it would be to ban cars around schools as most schools are situated in residential areas. Obviously a car ban would almost certainly have a significant negative effect on nearby residents. I would hope also that provision would be made for pupils who are not able to walk without assistance.
However practicalities aside, we all know how much quieter the roads are generally during School holidays. My daily drive to work in Hartlepool is much easier at the moment, presumably as a result of the Schools being closed. So any strategies that could result in fewer car journeys can only be a good thing, not only to reduce obesity and reduce traffic congestion, but also hopefully have a positive effect on climate change.
Insulting and Devastating---
10 Aug 2007
* 700,000 people have dementia in the UK
* 15,000 YOUNGER people have dementia in the UK
* 1,000,000 will have dementia by 2025
* 60,000 people die every year as a direct result of dementia.
Given the statistics above, I'm sure you would expect the government to be doing everything it can to deal with the dementia situation in the UK?
Well you maybe shocked to discover that sadly this is not the case.
Despite the fact that dementia costs the UK economy 17 billion pounds every year, the High Court ruled today that drugs that help to stabilise this most awful of diseases should not be prescribed to "early stage" dementia sufferers and that sufferers should wait until the symptoms develop into much later stage - by which time the patient is often very confused, lacks short-term memory and ultimately unable to live independently.
Surely if prescribing the drugs early results in a sufferer being able to have increased quality of life and even to live independently for longer, this has to not only help the individual (and their family) but also save the state money in associated costs (health care, social services support etc - all of which are usually required during middle and late stage).
We all accept that NICE (National Institute of Clinical Excellence) have the unenviable task of managing the finite amount of cash available for use within the NHS. But surely, todays High Court decision has to be wrong.
NICE suggest that the effects of the Alzheimers family of drugs on patients is so slight, that it is not cost effective to prescribe at early stage. If this is true, why is it that so many relatives report "transformations" of their loved ones once they begin taking the medication? Anicdotal evidence of the effects of the medication is clear at a glance at the Alzheimers Society "talking point" forum. Many families report a rapid improvement once a course of medication has began.
A statement on the Alzheimers Society website sums up my feelings perfectly regarding todays decision and asks a question which we should all carefully consider:-
"This is insulting and devastating news. People will be forced to deteriorate before they get the treatment they need. Is this the sort of society we want to live in?"
For more information about dementia and the excellent work carried out by the Alzheimers Society, visit www.alzheimers.org.uk
Rip Off Britain---
09 Aug 2007
A survey I was reading the other day revealed another rather unsurprising fact...that parents in Britain feel that they are ripped off when holidaying in Britain.
Having returned this week from a family holiday in Cromer, Norfolk I can certainly confirm that the UK is indeed an expensive holiday destination! (compared to previous holidays in for example Spain).
The survey of 2000 parents reckon 70% of recipients said a week in a hotel abroad was cheaper than a week's stay in Britain and that the average cost of a family hotel room in the UK is 120 pounds per night (840 per week). This is probably true, however why stay in a "room" in a Hotel when you could stay in a house or cottage for a fraction of the cost of a Hotel room! Last week we stayed in a 3 bedroom cottage which cost approx 500 pounds and had a sea view (more than half of the survey respondants complained that the family hotel rooms lacked a nice view). Our cottage was also spotlessly clean (unlike hotel rooms according to survey).
That said, the report goes on to say that 95% of parents suggested that UK car parks overcharge. I certainly cannot dispute this fact. An average of 6 pounds a day in parking in most seaside resorts wasn't uncommon we found.
86% believed that families are charged too much for meals out at seaside cafes/restaurants. This is also a fair point (in my opinion). Often service is poor, yet prices sky high.
When it comes to family days out in the UK, parents said they felt "fleeced" by the average cost of 84 pounds an outing. Once again, cant disagree.
It seems to me that the UK is an expensive place to live generally (not only when holidaying!). The various Blair/Brown stealth taxes which have been introduced in recent years along with the extra burden of "red tape" which has forced up prices for most businesses has resulted in us all paying more for most products and services. This ultimately results in the real "cost of living" constantly rising whilst quality of life for most people remains stagnant or even reduces.
Of course the real reason that most people choose to travel abroad for holidays and not stay in our fair land is nothing to do with hotel accommodation or the cost of food & days out – it’s the famous blighty weather!
Lib Dem or Fib Dem?---
20 Jul 2007
As a Tory, I'm obviously disappointed that we didn't fair better during Thursday's Sedgfield election, however it did serve to demonstrate that even in a "heartland" Labour support is diminishing rapidly as more voters feel they are being taken for granted.
It was also disappointing to see such a negative Campaign by the Lib Dems. Virtually every Lib Dem leaflet that dropped on my doormat during the last couple of weeks has been negative and at times misleading.
Conversely, Graham Robb and his team ran a fantastic positive Campaign. I say this not only as a "Tory" but also as a voter. Its quite refreshing to see a Candidate who actually has some positive ideas and plans to take this area forward. Perhaps its naive to suggest, but if other Candidates adopted a similar attitude to campaigning in the future, perhaps the electorate would start to gain a bit more faith in both prospective and current politicians.
First of all...apologies (again) for not blogging recently...however "I always want to do better and I will do better".
"Oh dear, it seems Gill and I have upset and thus have to suffer the wrath of the increasingly belligerent Cllr Nick Wallis. It seems that inline with Darlington Labour party policy, he has decided to attack us for representing our residents views concerning the recent bus service cuts which have affected Harrowgate Hill. Well, of all the potentially dastardly crimes I could have been accused of as an elected member of the council, representing residents seems one I am willing to concede. 
"Who was it who said "it's good to talk"? It is certainly a fair statement, but perhaps if you are involved in politics, perhaps its also good to listen occasionally?
"Lee, You're Hired!" - a phrase I wasnt expecting to hear Alan Sugar utter last night during the final episode of the BBC's Apprentice series. 
Ordinarily, sitting in a field, by the side of a road, watching cars go by whilst getting absolutely soaked due to the ever moist British weather wouldn't be my ideal method of spending a Sunday! 
"Wow, what a scorcher", is often how the tabloids like to describe the weather on a day like today. Apt indeed, as I sit here typing this I rather wish I had used some sun block as my face, legs and arms currently feel like they are radiating heat at such a rate as to speed up global warming! Better not say that too loudly as some Labour politician will no doubt slap a "green" tax on me!
I remember fondly buying my first car...a blue Ford Sierra Sapphire on a 'J' plate. However, I remember less fondly paying the somewhat significant sum of 800 pounds to insure it for one year, 3rd party!
Oh dear, poor Gordon.
Reading today's TimesOnline I came across a rather intrigueing headline - 
Every now and again a programme appears on TV which results in me shouting at the TV - I initially thought last night would be one such occasion. 
The temptation is great to run a "Caption Competition" for the image opposite, however I shall try to refrain! 
Everyone knows that recycling is important and the Lib Dems seem to be no exception. Sadly though, it seems Darlington the Lib Dems are developing a habit of recycling material that isn't always there own! 
What an interesting and slightly bizarre week.... 
Having campaigned hard to save the landmark White Horse pub/hotel and being involved with the "Darlington Referenddum" group, some had labeled Gill and I "activists" prior to being elected in May. 
They say a week in politics can be a lifetime, not so this week, the days have flown by.
