Building Schools for the Future

Today we had confirmation that all 3 RC schools in the borough will be in the current wave of BSF funding. The planned federation of St Michael's in Billingham, St Pat's in Thornaby and Our Lady & St Bede's in Stockton has enabled them all to be in the same funding wave. That's good news, especially for St Pat's which desperately needs some investment in its buildings. However, it leaves Egglescliffe, Conyers and All Saints out on a limb as the only 3 schools in the borough which won't benefit from this funding. What the government is thinking of, cutting 3 schools off from what's happening in the rest of the borough, is beyond me. But so is much of what this government does.
So what next for Egglescliffe school? Well, nothing much at present. A study will be undertaken to look at a variety of sites which have been suggested for building a replacement school when funding becomes available. One of those sites is Preston Park, and so far I haven't found anyone living in Eaglescliffe who's happy with that. One of course will be the Allens West playing field site which suffers from the problem of the pylons at one end and therefore the overhead cables which alarm some people. I've heard other sites suggested but I'll wait to see which are proposed in the Cabinet report next month.
Given the shortage of money in government coffers now that it's been spent on propping up banks and fighting an illegal war in Iraq it seems unlikely that the BSF programme will continue beyond this wave so another means of financing the rebuild will need to be found and that won't be easy.
Meanwhile plans are progressing for the general election. For most voters there's nothing much to an election - a date is announced and they vote (or not) then wait for the result. For the council officers and members there are decisions to be made about where to count the votes, where to store the postal votes as they come in, how many people are needed for all the different jobs and so on. Planning is ongoing now for an election in May to coincide with the local elections which happen in some areas, though not in Stockton. Before that we have the annual canvass of the borough to produce the electoral register and already plans are being made for conducting the 2011 census. There's never a dull moment in Electoral Services.

Back to Earth

I did not enjoy this Monday morning. Knowing that the holiday is at an end is one thing. Knowing that there were papers to be read for this afternoon's meeting and not really time to read them was bad. Finding out that I couldn't even download the papers because the laptop wouldn't connect to the council system and I couldn't even try to read them on a minute hand held screen because that system wasn't working either was the final straw. And that was all before 0830.
The IT problems have now been resolved but anyone who sent emails to me over the weekend might be well advised to resend them as they may not have made it to my mailbox. Perhaps I should be thankful for small mercies because I still had several hundred to contend with when I could finally access a computer screen.
Monday afternoon did provide some interesting insights into the workings of IT in the authority as the Environment committee grappled with ways to reduce the carbon footprint of the authority while keeping the IT systems working and fit for purpose. The new computer room and servers should help, as should the "Campus Stockton" approach being taken now to school IT but there's still a long way to go. It was more disappointing to hear from one of the council's architects about the costs and other problems associated with ensuring that our new buildings are as energy efficient as possible. To hear that we can't reach the goals we would like to set because of budget caps is realistic but depressing. Now it's up to the committee to decide what we want to recommend as the way forward for the council. Weighing in the balance the savings to made over 30 years against high costs now meaning that something else has to be left out of the programme is another judgement of solomon moment.

R & R

Home again after a week of rest and relaxation in Dorset. Our wonderful holiday house had no mobile phone reception, no internet connection - bliss for a week. I know I wouldn't want to live like that for ever but it did mean that work couldn't intrude on our evenings and only when we went out of the village quite a distance during the day did anyone have any chance to contact us, apart from the two close relatives who had the number of the payphone in the house.
It meant all the more time to spend seeing the world through the eyes of a 3 year old whose pleasure at watching the deer browsing in the field at the bottom of the garden was a joy in itself. Having breakfast looking out on a wildflower meadow with a pair of roe deer feeding, then an evening meal watching the swallows swooping and gliding to catch their evening meal - what more could we ask? With a Wendy House in the garden, and walk in wardrobes for hide & seek it was paradise for children as well. We even got to watch master thatchers at work on the house next door.
The choice of area had been made largely so that I could visit the Tank Museum at Bovington. Not my usual choice of holiday visit but in researching my family tree I'd discovered a great-uncle who'd served in the Tank Corps in the Great War. He was the only one of several brothers who'd served in the forces because the others were all miners and so were needed there. I'd never known that this person existed and nor had my cousin so I was intrigued to know what I could about his life. The Tank Museum staff had already helped me with a transcript of the war diary of the battalion in which he served. Now I wanted to see the kind of machine he'd been in and the life he'd led as a member of the Tank Corps. I found it interesting that part of the daily rations was 1/50 ounce of mustard - not what I'd have considered an essential to daily living. I presume it went with the 3/4lb of meat per day! I did find myself wondering just how much of the daily official ration they actually got when it was so hard to get supplies to the front line troops and perhaps at times hard to know where the front line was in all the chaos of a battle prior to our modern communications systems. Unexpectedly, I found that I could climb up and sit in just the model of tank he'd served in, and have explained to me what he'd have done and how cramped they were in there. Prior to being called up to the army he'd worked with horses in a livery stable. It must have been horrible for him to go into a noisy, oily, fume-filled, overcrowded tank and drive across the battlefield knowing that if his tank were hit all the spare ammunition that was under his feet would explode and blow him to kingdom come. I think I came close to understanding why he didn't want to talk much about his experience when he was discharged, why he wasn't quite part of the large but close-knit family back home in Murton. Those experiences must have changed him for ever, and he was the only one to have had them. He couldn't share the jokes, memories and worries of the miners and they couldn't share his memories.
On a lighter note we took the opportunity to visit Chesil beach in a wind so strong we struggled to stay upright, Lulworth cove where the rain spoiled our picnic but then the sun allowed us to enjoy one of the best icecreams ever, Dorchester where it rained so hard that the road was like a river and we waited almost an hour in a Tea Shop for a sandwich to be made, Weymouth for excellent fish and chips, and enjoyed a Dorset Cream Tea in the open air at a Farm shop. At least, those who like cream did - for the others it was warm Dorset apple cake with local ice cream. The diet starts tomorrow!

Difficult Decisions

Planning committee this afternoon had one of those decisions that I wish we never had to make. An empty site on a busy road into Stockton, a discount retail chain wanting to build a supermarket on it, residents strongly in favour of it because they want to be able to buy things at a lower price than they currently can in the local shops, policies written relatively recently in an effort to sustain the town centre saying that this supermarket would be too big so close to the centre, the historic buildings officer saying that the building would detract from the listed building next door, but other people pointing out that on the other side is a modern car tyre business, local shop keepers pleading for their businesses - all arguments that can be clinchers in deciding a planning application, but here they just made it too difficult. After an hour or more of debate, listening to residents and questioning the applicants we decided that we'd defer the decision to give the applicants chance to come back with a more sympathetic design. Whether we should give more weight to the hopes for the Town Centre which would benefit the residents in the long term or to the desires of those residents to have what's in reach now is a conundrum for another day.

The "councillor" day started at 8.30 with a phone call about someone questioning work that has been done on the Park and Stride route for a local primary school. It carried on with e-mails about a mistake we'd made with a phone number on a leaflet and then with lots about the proposal from IBIS councillors to build a school on Preston Park to replace Egglescliffe comprehensive, and only improved when I got on to clearing some of the backlog of consultations and enquiries. The pile of unanswered mail has almost disappeared and the pile of filing is a bit lower now.
At the meeting of the Fairtrade Borough Partnership meeting we spent quite some time discussing our stalls at the Tristar Homes fun day in August and then at the Freshers Fair of Queens Campus of Durham University. A wine tasting later in October should complete the year's activities. Not content with that we're looking forward to spring and Fairtrade Fortnight next year. We also registered our disquiet at the fact that George Alagiah has been told by the BBC that his work as patron of the Fairtrade Foundation isn't compatible with his work as a BBC journalist. He won't give up all his work on Fairtrade but it does mean that he won't be associated in such a high profile way. We're all enormously grateful to him for what he's done and hope that we find another patron as capable as he is.
This afternoon's first task was to deliver some letters from our PPC, Jacquie Bell, to people who'd responded to her Credit Crunch survey. The results of the survey have gone to Vince Cable to help build up his detailed picture of what's happening around the country. It was good to see in those results the amount of support there is in the borough for Vince's economic strategies.
Time this evening to read some papers ready for tomorrow's planning committee meeting and to sort out some domestic issues before our holiday. Just another day in the life of a councillor.
Ward surgery didn't bring any new problems but did offer an opportunity to catch up with John on what's going on in the ward and in the council. Not what a ward surgery is designed for but useful all the same.

The rain stayed away from me today but I understand that's because I moved around - it certainly didn't stay away from the borough.
A friendly market trader noticed that I had a Liberal Democrat shopping bag and asked if I was a Lib Dem - must work harder on my political profile! He proceded to tell me that if only Vince Cable was chancellor we wouldn't be in this mess - couldn't disagree with him on that one, and then said that if Cameron has any sense when he's PM he'll appoint the blessed Vince as his chancellor - not sure that David Cameron will agree with that one.
England's cricket team seem to be redeeming themselves in this match so perhaps the age of miracles isn't completely past.

I was going to catch up on filing, visiting and helping to deliver leaflets in another ward today but the rain put paid to the latter and numerous phone calls to the former!
By early afternoon some of the issues from last night's Parish Council meeting had been satisfactorily resolved and we could move on to further planning. Meanwhile a resident called with questions around some building works but because the Planning website was misbehaving and the officer concerned wasn't available that's had to wait till Monday to be fully answered. The question of the council tax valuation of properties in Timothy Hackworth court is still vexing a number of the residents there. I hope they manage to sort out the problem. To my layman's eye it does seem as though their valuation is based more on where the building is located than on the facilities in their property. As we've been so short of sheltered accommodation in the ward it's a pity that when some is built (albeit not in the most suitable location) many of the possible purchasers are finding it too expensive to move there comfortably. Meanwhile of course we have lost the affordable sheltered housing of Witham House with no sign of it being replaced in the near future.
The good news of the day came when a colleague pointed out that Fiona Hall, recently re-elected as MEP for the North East, has been elected by her colleagues to lead the UK Liberal Democrat group in Europe. This gives Fiona a much higher profile in Europe and means that the North East's voice will be heard even more strongly. One of her UK Lib Dem colleagues, Sharon Bowles, has become chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs committee, a very powerful committee in Europe, overseeing the regulation of the financial sector amongst other things.
And now that it's too late to go out delivering or visiting the rain has stopped -the joys of the British summer.

This morning delivering Focus in the Millfield area I stopped to chat with several residents out doing their gardens, all with one message - get it done before the rain! It made a change not to pick up any problems from people, maybe it's the sunshine effect. I did report one instance of obstructive car parking when I got home. Why people think it's OK to park on a pavement is beyond me, especially when leaving too small a gap for people with prams or wheelchairs to get through.
The rain did come this afternoon and "forced" me to sit in the car for 5 minutes listening to the end of an interesting item on the lunar landings of 40 years ago. I well remember deciding that I couldn't go without sleep entirely so went to bed late and set the alarm for 4a.m. in order to see the first moon walk. I was so excited and really thrilled that I managed to take some photos of the TV screen showing the walk. The grainy black and white prints are probably still in the loft somewhere.
This evening was the last meeting of Egglescliffe & Eaglescliffe Parish Council before the summer recess. For once there was some very robust debate around the table. Genuine concerns about the plans for St Margaret's play area and what should be included will only be finally resolved when the detailed plans are drawn up. Our neighbourhood police called in, bringing news of the latest crime statistics for the parish. Once again anti-social behaviour reports around Durham Lane shops is our biggest problem. Two months ago we were told that the link for a CCTV camera wasn't suitable but that it should be improved within a month or so. I'm following it up now to see whether we can install a temporary camera and try to nip this problem before it gets any worse.

Halcyon Care

This afternoon I attended the official opening of the Halcyon Centre in Thornaby. This former infant school building has been transformed into a day care centre for adults over the age of 55 who have been assessed as needing such a facility. It's a relatively small scale operation, only 22 clients allowed on any one day, which covers Eaglescliffe, Yarm, Ingleby Barwick and Thornaby with the surrounding villages. Unlike some centres years ago this one is a hive of activity with arts & crafts on offer at times as well as all kinds of other activities. A 2 course meal is served every day and clients can even have a shower there if that's an appropriate thing for them.
The official opening was carried out by the Mayor and Mayoress of Thornaby, Cllr & Mrs Green, who were obviously proud to have this facility on their patch. Young families came to visit as well as older people and the children of some of the clients. There were raffles, tombolas, cake stall and more - all raising funds to further the extra work done there. The garden looked splendid thanks to the work done by, among others, some of the prisoners from Kirklevington Grange prison. The photos aren't brilliant because I forgot to pick up my camera so these were taken on a phone - not the best camera around!
A short bus journey back into Stockton took me to a complete contrast - Children & Young People committee as a substitute for Alan who's off taking tea with the Queen today. Most of the meeting was taken up with a scrutiny review of Child placements but right at the end were the progress reports on two scrutinies which I'd chaired when on that committee - Teenage Pregnancy and Bullying. I was really bitterly disappointed by the latter one. I feel as though hardly any progress has been made and we've let down another 2 years of children going through our schools. The best that the committee could do was to agree to bring an officer to a future meeting to find out what's going on - toothless or what? Meanwhile no doubt the good schools and youth clubs will protect our young people and the bad ones will go on allowing them to be abused.
The meeting went on so long that I caught the last of the frequent buses home, arriving at the stop a minute before the bus. Interesting to note that the 3 passengers on the bus were two councillors and a council officer!

Carbon Management

This afternoon's Environment committee produced some interesting facts but also raised some serious questions. For example, to produce a really top notch, carbon neutral school building might cost something like 7% more than to produce one that just scrapes through the new building regulations. It'll save lots more energy, but over a long period of time. Should we spend the extra £1m on that building, thus perhaps not being able to do something else? If so - what do we cut? Or do we settle for just getting by?
We had the usual problem of council officers who are immersed in their subject not being able to explain it in layman's terms but in the end came to an agreement about what information they can provide and how they'll do that. What we'll make of it remains to be seen. This review is proving very interesting but also very difficult to manage. Unfortunately money doesn't grow on trees - I'm sure Gordon Brown wishes it did.
The council's PR department did manage to work with the technical people to produce an interesting and useful press release. I hope the local press pick it up but in case they don't I reproduce the relevant parts below. Do read, learn and inwardly digest as my English teacher used to say.

SAVE THE WEIGHT OF AN ELEPHANT - ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND LOW CARBON LIFESTYLE TIPS

All week Stockton Borough Council is offering advice and top tips on how to make a small change in your life to help make a big difference to the environment.

And of course, saving energy also saves money.

Each home in the UK produces approximately six tonnes of Carbon Dioxide each year. That’s practically the weight of a whole elephant!

The average resident in Stockton each has a carbon footprint which is equivalent to 4.3 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide - the weight of two rhinos.

Insulating your home is by far the best way to make your home more energy efficient. Cavity wall and loft insulation, which can cost as little as £99 each, can start you off saving on your heating bills straight away.

While some people may see this as a cost, it’s really a very reasonable investment as the price can often be recovered in just one year. If you are on certain benefits, or over 70 years old, you can have cavity wall and loft insulation installed free of charge.

To find out more visit the Small Change Big Difference road show or log onto www.stockton.gov.uk.

The road shows, which runs from 10am – 2pm, will be at the town centres of Billingham on Monday, Stockton on Wednesday and Thornaby on Thursday.

Top Tips for Energy Saving

• Wash wise – try to wash a full load in dishwashers and washing machines – two half loads use more energy and water than a full load.

• Wash at 30°C - today’s washing detergents are designed to work best at lower temperatures.

• Give your oven the day off – slow cookers use the same amount of energy as a light bulb. A microwave uses 10 minutes of energy for every 40 minutes used by a conventional oven.

• A fridge can use 20 per cent of the energy used in your home – make sure it is well maintained and running efficiently. Replacing your old freezer with a new energy efficient model will save you money. A new ‘A’ rated energy efficient model uses nearly a third of the energy of a 10 year old model.

• Computers – when replacing consider a laptop which uses 70 per cent less energy than a desktop computer. Not changing yet? Why not invest in an energy saving mains controller or ‘powerdown’ unit which automatically switches off the monitor, printer, scanner etc when the computer is switched off.

Anyone in the Stockton Borough who wants to find out about how much energy they are using can borrow an energy meter for one month from their local library. Part of our ‘Watt’s Going Down’ scheme to encourage lower energy usage, the meter simply connects to the electricity meter in the home and provides a read out of the cost of energy used.

Elementis Update

The first meeting of the day was at Elementis in order to follow up some of the questions raised by its imminent closure. I went along not really expecting anything but wondering what the company would say. In the event I was pleasantly surprised at just how much they were prepared to say and to share with us, and also surprised at the amount of work which will go into shutting the plant down. They're talking of 3 years at least to be able to clean the site and shut down safely, so no "cowboy" operation here. As a chemist by training I'm impressed, as a ward councillor I'm highly relieved. There's also a commitment to helping the redundant staff to find new jobs. For some it might be the start of an exciting and interesting new career but for others it will be the start of a longer than expected retirement and for others perhaps a spell of unemployment or not very satisfactory employment while waiting for the jobs market to improve. I'd like to hope that no-one is unemployed but that might not be realistic in this economic climate.
Unfortunately the remaining meetings of the day weren't nearly so positive. Best not to say anything lest I say more than I should. Suffice to say that housing and me aren't getting on too well today.

I had a meeting with fellow ward councillors, traffic officers and residents today at Aislaby to discuss possible solutions to the parking and speeding problems which the residents had identified at the Parish Meeting a few weeks ago. I say residents, but it was actually one resident and his dog, though he does chair the Parish meeting. Of course today there wasn't a parked car to be seen and the traffic through the village was very sedate. We did find out that a speed survey is already underway in response to concerns so when the results of that are known it'll be decided whether anything needs to be done.
Later, at cabinet, there was quite a discussion about whether or not the South of the Borough, including Eaglescliffe, should have more facilities for sport and active leisure with most people seeming to agree that yes, we should have more in an ideal world but there isn't any money and all the usual excuses. That's always followed by a reassurance that our concerns will be looked at. No doubt they'll then be put into a strategy and consulted on and by the time we've done all that we'll be past caring. Or am I being cynical?
Later still we discovered via the wonders of email that the process being used to make one of the most important and far reaching decisions the council will make this decade might have been fatally flawed. It's a good job the broadband cables don't react to the wrath of the councillors using them.
I need a holiday - a long one!

The Play Area is coming!

This afternoon there was a meeting of the Recreation Committee of Egglescliffe & Eaglescliffe Parish Council with 2 agenda items. The first was to receive the outline plans for our refurbishment at St Margarets' play area. Very exciting and we're looking forward to hearing residents' views during the consultation. Plans will be on display at the Playscheme in July and August, in our notice boards and perhaps in one or two shop. We'll have letters to go to houses very near the park so that those people know what's going on. We hope the press wil help to publiise it and we hope that lots of people will say their piece.
The second item was to complete the application for funding for work to be done on the memorial garden at Egglescliffe. Fingers crossed now - we hope to get up to £1700 to help with the planting of shrubs, a memorial tree and another bench.
I like it when money comes in and we can fulfil residents' wishes and aspirations.

Monday morning, a Focus leaflet to produce, an article to write for our newsletter to party members, a few bits of casework to finish up and a meeting with colleagues to discuss some issues. Just another day in the life of a councillor. This particular day was broken into by an unexpected and very pleasant chat with our daughter on the other side of the world, so not all work!

Celebration Time

The first Sunday of the month means Fairtrade stall at the church coffee morning. We only manage once a month but there's now a group of regulars as well as those who pop in occasionally. It's almost impossible to predict what will sell on a particular day. Some months everyone seems to want coffee and biscuits. Other days it's chocolate or tea. This week several people wanted snacks to eat while travelling which wouldn't make their fingers sticky and wouldn't melt in the heat like chocolate - Paradise Fruit mix and Geobars to the rescue!
This evening was spent celebrating Fiona Hall's re-election as our MEP for the North East. We were blessed when the weather changed for the better shortly before people were due to arrive and we could barbecue and eat outside. Fiona called in for an hour between campaigning in Dormanstown and driving home to Northumberland. Fairtrade Cola and wine, along with locally produced sausages and assorted other foods and drinks made for a very convivial evening.

Home again and time for a more detailed account of the last 3 days. The council's economy drive turned out to be a bit of a pain when the hotel we were booked into proved not to have a restaurant or even a breakfast room attached. The breakfast was delivered in a plastic bag to the floor outside the bedroom door. Or at least it was on the first morning. On the second morning it just didn't materialise at all. The content of the plastic bag was worthy of a photographic record. Fortunately I'd already decided that I was going to an early bird session on planning at which breakfast was provided - a selection of hot items, lots of fresh orange juice, coffee and fresh fruit. Definitely worth getting out of bed for.
The session on planning was useful and interesting, but would have been even more useful 2 years ago - c'est la vie!
The conference proper had a session with Michael Parkinson talking about dignity in old age and how every one of us has a responsibility to treat people with dignity and respect whatever their mental state. He talked with humour and pathos of his experiences as his mother developed dementia.
A fringe meeting with Sandi Toksvig, billed as a Question Time style evening, was more disappointing as lots of pre-prepared questions were put to a panel and there was little time for spontaneous contributions from the audience. It did, however, produce a few excellent moments and gave a name to be watched for in future - Amina Ismail from Liverpool hopes to be a councillor after the next elections there and has been shadowing the leader to find out what's involved. If she's not in a leadership role in 5 years I'll eat my hat. The title of the evening was "A woman's place in local government" and I concluded that Amina's was at the top.
That was followed by a very pleasant meal with colleagues from Yorkshire and Sussex, sharing ideas, hopes and concerns about the next couple of years.
And at the end of all that it was still so hot that I needed a shower before I could settle down to sleep, only to be woken by the ongoing noise from the Rock Bar over the road - the joys of the Harrogate Travelodge.
Thursday's early bird meeting was in a different venue and there wasn't such a good selection for breakfast but nevertheless the fresh juice was very welcome and the bacon sandwich was a rare treat.
A session on inland waterways was relevant to the river both in our ward and in the centre of Stockton. The workshop on climate change was less interesting, but was followed by a talk from Vince Cable, measured and convincing as ever. Why aren't the banks which were bailed out by the taxpayer helping the economy by supporting small and medium businesses more? Why is the government in such a hurry to sell them back to private ownership before they've put right the wrongs which led to their being taken over in the first place.
There followed a session on protecting the most vulnerable in our society - young children who can't protect themselves. The first part of it was full of statistics and had me wondering why I was there rather than doing something useful but the second part, from Martin Narey of Barnardos was excellent. He dared to go against the current view that keeping a child in a family is always the best thing for the child and suggested that at times a well run residential home can be much better for some children. His illustrations included the story of a child with severe behaviour problems who had over 40 foster placements in under 3 years - what earthly good was that doing for the child? It was a very challenging talk and will colour my thoughts on the care of children for some time I think.

Harrogate in the Sun

I'm spending 3 days at the Local Government conference in Harrogate, with lots of opportunity to meet up with other councillors and officers from around the country and chances to discuss issues with exhibitors and see if there's anything they might offer in the way of help, advice, funding etc. So far I've managed some information on carbon reduction, ideas on planning and some information which might be of help in what we are hoping to do for young people in the area.
There's more to come and I'm going to suffer from information overload by the end of the conference but lots of notes will help sort it out over the coming weeks.
Meanwhile the sun's shining outside and it's far too nice to be indoors.

Two very different issues on my plate today, but both important.
This morning I took a call from a man who used to live in this ward but moved out of Witham House so that Erimus could demolish and build a new sheltered housing complex. 3 years later it's still standing there with nothing being done to it and he's angry that he moved out of Eaglescliffe to somewhere he didn't want to live and all for nothing. Sadly I couldn't offer him any consolation other than the fact that he's not alone.
This afternoon I chaired the meeting of the Environment select committee which is looking at Stockton Council's carbon management programme and trying to find ways to save even more carbon emissions and more money. There was lots of information to digest and lots of questions being raised. Our next meeting will be a long one I expect- looking into how schools contribute to the carbon emissions in the borough and how their contributions can be reduced. We plan to look at everything from building materials in new buildings through to retro-fitting insulation etc for older buildings, travel to school and many other issues.

Where has summer gone?

There might be a heatwave at Wimbledon this weekend but not up here. We've got rain, drizzle, more rain, sunny interval, more drizzle. The fog on the A19 was bad enough to lead to a series of accidents on Friday night. This is summer?
Meantime I see that Ed Balls still thinks the government can conjour money out of thin air and not have any spending cuts while paying back the national debt. Such is the failure of our education system under Labour that even well educated ministers believe in fairies.

Armed Forces Day

It was only this morning that I realised we've had an official Veterans Day in this country till now. I've obviously missed it in news broadcasts etc for the past umpteen years. Perhaps it's because I don't live in a town with a military base very near?
Although my own personal inclinations are towards pacifism I recognise that there are situations when this country is involved in war and I believe that the women and men who risk life and limb and mind to fight those wars deserve our support. Democracy means to me that however much I might disagree with the politicians who make the decision once it's made the personnel sent to do the job need the very best support we can give, both practical and emotional. That's why I'm pleased that Stockton's nice new flagpoles are flying the Armed Forces flag this week and why I'm glad that one soldier was to be presented with his Afghanistan medal today by the Lord Lieutenant of Durham in the dignified surroundings of the Town Hall.
I was told about Stockton Council's plans for today a couple of weeks ago and was disappointed that I was committed to being elsewhere so wouldn't be able to take part. As it was, at the last minute plans changed and I was in Stockton after all. So I took the chance to go to the Library to see the "exhibition of wartime memorabilia" which had been advertised as happening all week in the Library foyer. What a disappointment - the foyer was full of a very interesting exhibition about eye problems and Louis Braille, mounted by Blind Voice UK. Not a bit of military memorabilia to be seen. Eventually we tracked it down - a handful of photographs mounted on a couple of display boards in one aisle of the library with no sign to direct people towards them.
Denis had provided a digital copy of the photograph owned by the Museums service of the 225th Company Royal Engineers. He and one of the museum staff are trying to put names to faces on the photo - over 100 Stockton men who signed up to fight in the First World War. They were rapidly followed by two other companies which aren't as well documented. Denis' grandfather and two of his closest friends signed up and are there in the photo. Denis is in touch with descendents of 2 others, but that leaves a lot to be identified. Sadly, the book which had been put with the photo for people to write in if they thought they could help identify anyone has been stolen. So much for respect for the armed forces.
On a more positive note I heard some rare serious discussion of what the army is doing in Afghanistan now and why on BBC Radio 4. It's a pity that such discussion doesn't happen more often - we all need to try to understand what's going on there and why.
I also caught on radio a brief bit of Any Answers when a british muslim woman talked about why she wears a burkha when she leaves her house and the circumstances under which she removes her face veil. I wished I could have met her and had a much longer discussion with her. She answered questions clearly and her passionate commitment to Islam shone through. It was one of those radio gems which crop up occasionally and leave me wishing for lots more. I'd love a BBC producer to go and make a programme with her to explore some of the prejudices that exist on both sides of the divide over the wearing of such distinctive clothing. But I don't suppose I'll be that lucky.

We have a bathroom!

OK, it's not exactly earth shattering nor political but it is quite important to me, and to hubby. Right on time the work was completed and the finished article was handed over to us. I mention it here because so much is said and written about poor workmanship and "rip off Britain" that I feel it's worthy of note when someone takes a real pride in their work, does a good job on time and within budget. It may not be a multi million pound contract but it's of great value to us. So well done Andy and Simon and a huge thank you for being so careful and doing such a good job.
In among today's post was a carefully hand-written envelope which of course I opened before any of the formal typed ones. Inside was a beautiful piece of artwork inviting me to a performance of Pepys Show at Durham Lane School next month. It's one of the perks of being a governor that we get these invitations but I've never had one which was also a work of art. I shall certainly be going along to find out what the show is about. I know I'll be in for a treat of music and acting far better than one might expect from primary school chldren.
The business part of the day consisted of meeting with colleagues to discuss some of the important issues facing us in the borough over the next few weeks and running through to the general election. There are lots to keep us busy over the summer and beyond and to give our new younger members things to get their teeth into.

Spending Money and other problems

Who'd have thought that spending money could be so fraught with difficulty? For years Liberal Democrat councillors argued for having a budget to be spent in each ward according to what local people wanted. When we finally got it we found it hedged with restrictions so that we couldn't actually have quite a lot of what people wanted. Nevertheless we've managed in Eaglescliffe to do most of the things people asked for in the first couple of years, including some which we'd been told previously were impossible like surfacing the area between the church gate and the cemetery at Egglescliffe and improving the path from West View Tce to Yarm Rd. This year we've had a number of requests which we're probably not going to be able to satisfy, not because there's not enough money to do everything (though there isn't) but because one person's meat is another person's poison. One wants tarmac instead of grass while his neighbour wants the grass improved. One wants parking and another doesn't. One wants roundabouts improved while another doesn't. We can't please everyone and so it goes on. One good thing about having the budget and publicising it is that lots of people are getting involved in making suggestions on how to spend it - real local democracy which is what Liberal Democrats have argued for over years. Give power to the people and we'll use it well. If only the Westminster Government could believe that, what a different country it would be.
This week I've also been involved in putting together a bid for funding for some work to be done to the Parish Council land near the war memorial at Egglescliffe. In 2006 we had some plans drawn up for making that into a Memorial Garden but then the funding applications didn't work out and the work was never done. This week we decided to look at doing some smaller scale work such as laying the hedge and planting up low shrub beds on the slopes to the memorial as well as a plaque recording the history of the memorial. There's the possibility of grants towards that sort of work if we can get some community involvement in the project.
Meanwhile if you live in the area and know anything about hedge laying please get in touch!

The meeting of Western Area Partnership Board tonight had a presentation from the North East Ambulance Service on their application to become a Foundation Trust, seeking support from the public for the application. We saw a DVD of the ambulance service's work and were given a nice glossy booklet about it. Then the board spent half an hour or more questioning the two representatives at some length. There were issues about how people could "advise" the trust, questions about whether going to a business model would take away from the public service model, questions about what right the trust have to exclude "vexatious individuals" from membership and more. At the end it was pointed out that although an erratum slip was included, changing two of the questions in the light of previous consultations there was still another question which didn't make sense! There was no answer to the question of how much this exercise is costing - money which might otherwise have been invested in the ambulance service, except that the government has decreed that such Foundation trusts are the best way to go so who are we mere mortals to object.
The consultation document and questionnaire is available online and anyone with an interest in the NE ambulance service should read it and answer the questions - if you don't make your voice heard you can't complain that it isn't working the way you want.
Most of the rest of the meeting was taken up with a consultation from SBC couched in such jargon that most people round the table didn't know what they were being asked! It took rather a long time to get to the point of comprehension.
At the end of the evening the highlight was the agreement of some of the young people who'd sat through this session to meet up with us and discuss the best way to be involved in shaping the future of the area for young people. Watch this space.

People Power

Having spent Sunday happily playing with grandchildren and collecting photos of play equipment in their new park in readiness for the design being done on St Margaret's Play area I realise that I didn't get round to sharing any thoughts on the Lib Dem councillors' conference on Saturday. If you're interested you can read about a super day on Suzanne Fletcher's blog. Suffice to say from me that it was a very useful day and I came away with some ideas for ways to do things better in Stockton.
While in Sheffield I spotted an imaginative use of a phone cable box in the city centre which reduces the amount of clutter by combining signage with a necessary but usually ugly piece of "street furniture".

A Friday off (almost!)

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A whirlwind morning which included driving for the first time for a month in order to fit everything in - public transport just wouldn't work for the timetable I had. Then packing, making sure the house was safely locked up, and I was off to the station for the train to Sheffield. I was going with others of the Lib Dem council group from Stockton to a conference organised mainly by councillors for councillors, so some real grass roots politics for a day. To make sure that the brain was working properly on Saturday we'd opted to go down early and enjoy a relaxing evening in this great city (especially so since it has a Lib Dem council of course).
I was down in Sheffield last autumn for the Fairtrade Campaigns day and was impressed then by the lovely water features with their imaginative use of steel on which so much of Sheffield's past greatness was founded. It was no different this time - still a stunning welcome to the city when leaving the station. Outside the hotel was the Peace Garden though it wasn't very peaceful on Friday afternoon with dozens of young people having great fun running through the water spouts. There were no objections as far as I could see - they were enjoying themselves without harming anyone else.
I went with Alan to look at the City Hall, a splendid building with marble interior. Talking to one of the civic officers it was obvious that there's great pride in the building and how it's used but a sense of disappointment that so many tall buildings are being allowed in the vicinity, dwarfing what they felt should be the most important building. I could see what he meant. The very hotel in which we were staying was one of the culprits.
The evening started with a welcome drink in the Winter Gardens, with a brief visit from the local MP who also happens to be leader of the Liberal Democrat party. He spoke with great enthusiasm about Sheffield and the way in which it's changing and improving with a Lib Dem council, about the need for such delegation of real power to people and the need for Fair Voting systems to allow real representation.
Follow that with a super meal and we were all ready to get on with the next day's agenda, renewed and refreshed.
And in case anyone is thinking otherwise - it was all paid for out of our own pockets - travel, accommodation and conference costs. No expenses claims here - it wouldn't be right to have such things funded out of the tax people pay for services.

Pedestrians rule OK?

Today was another of those all too rare opportunities to see the NHS at its best - a doctor giving the impression to an elderly patient that there was all the time in the world to listen to her concerns while skilfully steering the conversation to answer the questions she needed to ask, a really meaningful consultation discussion about possible treatments (including do nothing different) and everyone seeming to come out feeling that things were better than they had been. Yet again I'm reminded that the NHS is not a system but people and when people are allowed to do the job they want to do they do it as well as they can and other people share the benefits. Why oh why do successive governments think they can solve all the problems by tinkering with systems?
This afternoon's meeting was at a venue which is not easily accessible by public transport but has such awful car parking problems that it's not worth trying to take the car either. I opted for the bus to Stockton High St and a walk from there over the bridge across the river and through Teesdale. It was a pleasant walk if a longish one. My point about car parking was made when as I sat down in the meeting room with my water and my papers all out ready to start the chair rushed in and apologised to me for not stopping to give me a lift - he'd passed me but on the other side of the road and it wasn't safe to stop. He'd then spent so long finding a parking spot and walking from it that I got there a good 3 minutes before him! I did pick up a couple of interesting points to share with colleagues at the next Western Area Partnership meeting but the afternoon went down hill when the train home from Thornaby was delayed by over 5 minutes which gave time for the rain to start at Eaglescliffe and me to get thoroughly wet walking down from the station. It's summer in England - whoopee.
Before the formal parish council meeting tonight there was a discussion with Stockton's town centre manager about the problems caused by the proliferation of A-board advertising. The whole discussion did seem to be about consulting on a new policy being developed until he said that the policy was already drafted but might need a few little tweaks following the consultation! Yet again a meaningless consultation from Stockton Council. The fundamental issue of whether or not to allow such boards wasn't really being considered, just how they should be regulated. So those who struggle with eyesight problems, those whose mobility is such that they need a wheelchair, those who push prams around the streets, will still have to struggle but they'll have the "consolation" that the obstructions are licensed. So that's all right then.

Yarm & Green Spaces

A visit to the hospital this morning confirmed that the radial knuckle (elbow) is mended nicely but there's some inflammation of the tendons so the arm is still in need of a little tender loving care! Gentle stretching exercise is prescribed so if you see my arm waving in the air I am definitely waving not drowning.
A leaflet arrived through the letter box today about parking in Yarm. It's a topic of great interest to many people in this ward whether or not they park there, because one of the biggest causes of congestion in Yarm High St is people looking for parking spots. Although there are no new suggestions in it for some reason it had to be kept confidential and not mentioned to Eaglescliffe councillors until the public leaflet was ready and the display was being set up. As a result we couldn't let people know in time for today's exhibition in Yarm. There's a number of suggestions being made and it's worth looking at them and making comment. None of them will completely solve the problems but it's a serious effort to make a difference so please do have your say. If you haven't got a leaflet there's a section on the Council website about it so you can see what's being suggested there.
There was a drop in session for councillors this evening to discuss the various plans and strategies that are developing at the moment for all our green spaces around the borough. Although there was nothing new in there it was helpful to be able to see how everything is starting to link together. I've only been a councillor for a few years but in that time I've been frustrated on occasion by the fact that the right hand didn't seem to know what the left hand was doing on open space and green areas. It must be much worse for people who've been involved for much longer.
At last every bit of green is being recognised as having some value, whether it's in someone's garden, beside a road or part of a big park. That doesn't mean that we never remove green areas, but it does mean that we consider their value in relation to other values and make a more informed decision, or at least I hope that's what it will mean. It's certainly beginning to make a little bit of difference in planning committee meetings. It also means that green spaces and play areas are planned differently now, aiming to let young people take risks which a couple of years ago were frowned on - there's nothing new under the sun is there? Now we encourage them to climb trees etc. without doing a risk assessment first!
The session was also useful because I could make some enquiries about how things are progressing with the Parish Council's work on the Play Areas and remind some relevant officers of promises that have been made of further help for us.
There's an on-going consultation on our green spaces and what we want from them so if you haven't already done so please go to the website and have your say.

Nick Clegg - the radical

I couldn't believe I'd heard it the first time, but having listened twice and read it on news websites and seen it on TV news I now believe that Nick Clegg actually confronted the Trident question face on and didn't fudge. Two years after a cracking good debate at conference and a messy resolution we have a leader with the courage to say "I've changed my mind. Times have changed." Even if I didn't agree with him on saying we wouldn't support spending the money on a replacement missile I'd have to admire his courage in saying that he'd changed his mind.
I am, however, one of those people who cannot see a moral justification for using warheads which have an effect far beyond their immediate point of impact. At the age of 12 I wrote a passionate, carefully researched, essay on why nuclear war could never be justified and whilst I've changed my mind on many things since that age I still believe what I wrote then.
Now if only Brown & Cameron would change their minds on fair voting systems and on letting local government get on with local things ....................!
I fear the age of miracles isn't with us yet, though.

A Tale of Two Governments

A govemment makes a decision and a million people walk through the capital to protest about it. The decision is implemented. Years later public pressure forces an enquiry - to be held in secret and not to apportion any blame but to see if we can learn any lessons.
A government makes an announcement of the election result and a million people walk through the capital to protest about it. 2 days later the "Guardian Council" says that it is prepared to recount votes in contested areas.
Which country has a democratic government?
Simplistic - yes. Not the whole story - I agree. But I do wonder, increasingly often, about where the Mother of Parliaments has ended up. Certainly not sitting at the head of the table nor even at the fireside offering wise counsel to her offspring.

Another scorching hot weekend - what's happened to the great British summer? The BBQ's been used more so far this year than in the whole of last year.
An encouraging moment at the market yesterday when one stall holder whom we've been trying to encourage to stock Fairtrade bananas complained that now we've really started something and as soon as he gets a box they sell! I'm instructed to get there first thing on a morning if I want to confirm that he's selling them because he can only get one or two boxes at a time. I regard that as something of a success story. I suggested that he keeps his eyes open for other fruits and expands his choice over the year. We shall see. He's a great character and very much part of Stockton Market. Long may he thrive.
The English strawberries he had on sale were small, juicy and bursting with flavour. Absolutely superb and a lot cheaper than the water-fattened ones in a supermarket not too far away. I love the soft fruit season. I'm watching the raspberries and cherries swelling nicely in the garden - not too long now before we can eat them.
Meanwhile residents continue to contact us about the issues that concern them - the uncertainties over the bus services, the perceived unfairness of having a service every 10 minutes during the working day on one part of the ward but only every hour on the other part, and so on. The next meeting of the Public Transport Users’ Forum for this Borough meets on 11^th July from 10 a.m. to 12 noon in ARC, Dovecot Street, Stockton, with John in the chair. This is the opportunity to get the latest information and make your voice heard.

I started the day with a trip using 2 buses to get to the Education Centre in Norton (formerly William Newton Girls School). The meeting was about scrutiny of policies and decisions in council and was a regional get together to share ideas on the best way of doing things. It had some interesting parts and was worth attending. I also managed to catch up with the council officer supporting the Carbon Management scrutiny over lunch and talk through some of the issues we need to explore. It's the first time I've been asked for a tour of the building - one member had 3 schools about to close in his area and he wanted to do something imaginative with the one in his ward so wanted to see how this had been utilised. Another member wanted to look at the Energy from Waste plant at Haverton before going home, having heard so much about it. So now we know what Stockton's famous for!
For the first time in 3 weeks the bus which I caught to start the journey home was late. That's not a bad record considering how many buses I've used since breaking my arm. As it was a hot sunny day I used the time as heat therapy for the aching ligaments!
During the afternoon we managed to choose a new garage door and sort out a number of things in and around the garden before repairing to our local restaurant for a weekend treat.

I can see the desk top!

One very short meeting today meant that I had some time this afternoon to tidy and file. My usual reluctance to do this was added to by the difficulty of working one-handed recently, so there was even more to do than usual. A solid hour's work means that a window sill and part of the desk top are now cleared, dusted and only have on them the things that are meant to be there - a phone, a radio, a modem - the important things in life.
I also had time to do some research as part of the scrutiny review of Carbon Management in the council. All in all, a good day.

Planning Committee did indeed approve both of the big applications this afternoon, with some requests for some thought at the detailed stage of North Shore about renewable energy, insulation, public art, public transport and road safety. The next steps will be interesting but may well take several years.
Gordon Brown has announced his next big idea - he'll think about possibly letting people have a fairer voting system but not until the next election is over. David Cameron says no way - why go for a fairer system when the present one works as he wants it. Strange how reluctant Westminster politicians are to let people have any power.

Inspirational Developments

There were 2 Planning site visits this afternoon and both were described thus. I make no comment here about how they fit with Stockton's planning policies but both were certainly significant applications. First we went to Yarm School to see how they propose to improve their facilities having been refused permission last year for a greenfield site. The present application has a very innovative theatre design, modern play areas, a newly unified early years section and more. It's a very ambitious project for what is undoubtedly a very ambitious school. I was interested to hear that several pupils are already training as part of the British elite squad for rowing in hope of being selected for the Olympics. Whatever the outcome of tomorrow's planning committee such excellence should be celebrated in the Borough.
The second visit was to see a presentation on the North Shore proposals and to view the site from the vantage point of an office over the river in Thornaby. Looking down from a 3rd floor window made it relatively easy to see how the plans would sit on the ground. Again, a lot of variables to be considered and no guarantees that funding will come forward but a lot of aspirations to improve that area of Stockton and make the most of a fantastic riverside site.
Tomorrow's planning committee meeting should prove interesting.

Swine Flu

The bug arrived on my doorstep today, causing the closure of Teesside High School for a week. 3 youngsters returned from their half term break carrying the infection but fortunately seem to be recovering well according to the NHS bulletin. For those people confused by the inability of the NHS to pinpoint the school's position accurately - it is in The Avenue, Eaglescliffe and not in Yarm! Exam pupils are coping with even more separation between desks than usual and all pupils and staff are being offered anti-viral medication. I've seen no evidence of panic and the whole operation seems to be running smoothly.
What's more, I now "know" the full name of the bug! In case anyone is interested it's influenza A type H1N1

Aislaby & Newsham

Tonight was the annual meeting of the two smallest parishes in Eaglescliffe ward. Neither parish has a hall or a pub nor any other public meeting place other than the open air of the village green and so they assemble in the neighbouring parish. Tonight the discussion included the vexed issue of development control. The village is deemed unsustainable with respect to public amenities and transport. That's generally welcomed because it should prevent any large scale developments but what about one or two houses in a gap between others? Should a line be drawn and no further development at all be permitted or should small, sympathetically designed properties be allowed in certain circumstances?
Those in the room seemed to favour the latter but of course that wasn't the whole population at all. Other issues were raised about road safety and about recycling, both of which I'm following up. All in all a very interesting meeting and very different to the annual meetings of the bigger councils.

Fiona Hall Re-elected

Today dawned grey and threatening, matching the mood of Stockton Lib Dems. Stories and rumours from verification sessions around the region sounded gloomy. Waiting for the count to start at 6 some of us were occupied by the Fairtrade stall at The Greener Living Roadshow in Preston Park. Although the rain held off it was quite cold and not as many people came this year. Nevertheless we did have some interesting conversations with people. We vwere also treated to the spectacle of some very interesting veicles, including a bike for 5 - otherwise known as a conference bike.
Tonight was nailbiting but the advantage of being in a small region is that we declare fairly early. The relief when Fiona was re-elected! The champagne came out and we toasted her in style. Tomorrow there's time for all the analysis but tonight it was sufficient to enjoy the moment.
I'm sorry Wales missed out and I'm very disappointed that the BNP gained a seat in our neighbouring region - lots of heart-searching to be done by other parties there I think.
But tonight, in the North East, I'm going to enjoy the rosy glow.

Customer Service

It's no fun when the phone and the internet (and thus Skype) give up for no apparent reason in the middle of a Friday afternoon. A call on another phone to our provider of both services produced a friendly voice with some sensible questions, quickly folloed by an appointment for an engineer to visit this morning.
This morning, mysteriously, things were working again but they still did a thorough check of the line and followed up a couple of hours later with a call to check that everything was OK. Full marks for service!

The Die is Cast

I've spent the day working with other Liberal Democrats in Eaglescliffe, encouraging people to cast their vote for our MEP. All the door-knocking is over for now, all the delivering, all the phoning. Tonight the numbers of votes are checked or verified to make sure that none have been lost and then they'll be locked away securely until Sunday afternoon. It's frustrating to have to wait so long but it's only fair that the countries which vote early don't announce results before others have cast their vote,
Meanwhile the problems continue to mount for Gordon Brown. At this rate I might start to feel sorry for him, but not yet!

European Parliament elections

Firstly I must apologise for the paucity of blogs over the last 10 days or so. There were several reasons including breaking my right arm (yes I am right-handed) and having both daughters and their families here to stay at the same time - an event last enjoyed almost 3 years ago. I trust that I'm forgiven for spending some time enjoying their company and the unusually consistent weather.
I havn't been entirely idle politically though - how could I with the Euro elections coming up?
I find it sad that so many politicians of other parties are trying to use this election as a message to Gordon Brown about the abysmal state of the country. That's for the General election when it comes. This one is about who does the best job of representing the North East in Europe. Fiona Hall, the Lib Dem MEP, has worked amazingly hard to help the NE build on our strengths, access support and funding and to shape european policies to help new NE industries such as renewable technologies.
A vote for the Lib Dems in this election really does count because of the fairer voting system used. I hope eveyone will take the opportunity to cast their vote wheter by post or in person and keep that strong representation in Brussels.

Mourning and Memorials

I spent a great deal of time today in discussions about the best way to move forward on planned changes in our cemeteries across the Borough. When I chaired the scrutiny review into managing memorials in the cemeteries it became obvious that for many reasons over the years the council policy of having only a headstone and vase on a grave had not been kept to. As a result the graves which only had grass weren't looking tidy because the maintenance was so difficult going round other graves with lots of objects on. Some people put breakable things on and then got upset when they were damaged either by other visitors or by the weather. Some put soft toys on and the squirrels played with them and moved them, upsetting for everyone. The committee heard from loads of people, agonised for hours over what to do and came up with a set of recommendations. The cabinet accepted them and now the council staff are trying to put them into practice.
Most of the recommendations have gone through without any problem. The safety of existing headstones has been checked and unsafe ones have been secured. The flower beds are beautiful. The railings round the Garden of st Francis, where babies who die before they reach 1 month old are buried, look lovely as does the planting in there. Now we're up to the really hard bit - most people want the grass replaced with fresh turf and the area tidied up, and would like a part of the grave to be available for personalisation - planting, placing personal items and so on. But for some families that's just not enough - they want the whole grave area to be personal to them. Trying to find a way to please both groups of families is proving to be a task of Herculean proportions and is going to take a very long time to resolve. Yesterday we did manage to identify an area where everyone is in favour of, or at least accepting of, the new council policy and would like us to just get on with it. So that part can be done while we continue discussion with the others. I foresee a long time on this yet, but it's well worth doing when it's such a sensitive area.

Politics Isn't all Bad

Working with other Liberal Democrats in the area campaigning across the Borough to get Fiona Hall re-elected has been a really positive experience this weekend. Despite the dreadful goings on in Westminster many people are prepared to think about the issues that really matter to them, and who is best placed to help resolve them. The Liberal Democrat message that we can do our bit to help the environment, reduce carbon emissions and slow the rate of global warming at the same time as creating new opportunities for jobs and investment gets a positive response across the borough. Fiona has worked very hard to help the Tees Valley access the help that's available to get those jobs. She's been furious when she discovered how much the Labour government has denied the North East and our residents have agreed.
Fiona will continue to work for us if she's re-elected, working from within a strong grouping of Liberal Democrats across Europe, unlike candidates who stand for election to an institution which they are committed to destroying. Where's the sense in that?

African Drumming in North Yorkshire

Last night we took a night off from local and European politics and family worries thanks to an SOS phone call. Justice First needed help to transport drummers and drums to Ampleforth for a fund-raising social there. A trip to Middlesbrough first, to collect our 3 passengers and 3 drums. Waiting for our passengers to arrive at the designated meeting point we watched hundreds of students beginning their celebratory evening at the end of exams, all wearing their specially designed Final Fling T-shirts. It brought back happy memories of completing our courses at the same university, then Teesside Polytechnic. What a long way it's come in the intervening years and what a high standard it achieves now in its speciality subjects.
With Jose, Patrick and Rosie plus 3 drums safely on board we set off for a drive across the moors to the little village of Ampleforth. The church had organised a social evening as a fund-raising effort for Justice First and the hall was packed. A good number of students from Ampleforth College had made the trip from a mile up the road and it was something of a surprise to find that the college is now co-educational. One of the Benedictine priests told me that it was certainly better for the boys to have the girls there. He couldn't comment on whether the girls would have done better elsewhere!
The evening was a wonderful mix of music, film and words. There was the chance to hear about the real difficulties faced by people seeking asylum - fleeing their own country, arriving here and finding that they don't have the necessary evidence from their own country. As though anyone running for his life with bullets whistling round him stops to ask for a sworn affidavit from the pursuers!
A film made by students at the university told the story of Joseph who, hiding in his bedroom, heard his father being beaten and then shot by militia. Discovered, he managed to pull himself free, jump out of a window and run for cover with bullets whistling past him. In his own words "I must have run until I passed out".
There were other stories too, and the young people sat as quiet as mice through them. They were absolutely engrossed in the stories and I hope that the impact stays with them as they reach the age of voting on these and other issues. Like us, they sat entranced when the musicians sang a song in memory of all their friends and compatriots killed, injured, disappeared in the fighting in the Congo. And even today I sit slightly guiltily using this laptop, thinking that some of the components may well have materials that came out of DRC via Rwanda or some other neighbouring state, materials which fuel the instability and the conflict in Congo.
Those same young people were the first on their feet to dance to the exciting rhythms of the drums but they certainly weren't the last. By the end of the evening almost everyone in the room had been up for at least a minute or two of dancing. Videos of my contribution are banned!
All too soon it was time to load up the car and start on the journey back. Lightning and thunder accompanied us for part of the way but fortunately the rain held off.
A very good evening that made me very glad I answered the phone when I did and could respond to the plea for help. The reward far exceeded the effort of responding. My one regret was forgetting to pick up my camera and only having a phone to take snaps on. I'm sorry to say that the settings weren't right so the photos aren't very good at all.

The rain didn't daunt Stockton Lib Dems today as several turned out to help Fiona Hall MEP in Eaglescliffe, knocking on doors, meeting people and talking about the election to come on June 4th. It was good to see so many people prepared to give up time and to get wet in order to make sure that residents had the chance to talk about the issues concerning them. Sadly, the recent scandals about MPs and their expense claims have made many people think they shouldn't vote for anyone because all politicians are corrupt. Those MPs have a lot to answer for, in bringing politics at all levels into disrepute. At least today some of our residents had chance to discuss issues with a politician who cares passionately about the things that really matter to people - the environment, jobs, the world economy etc.

To Infinity and Beyond

That was the theme of the celebrations surrounding the official opening of the Infinity Bridge, the latest bridge over the Tees in Stockton. At present it leads from the University to not very much, but eventually it will lead to the new developments on the North Shore of the river. Whatever happens on North Shore, the Infinity Bridge is a thing of beauty and worth looking at for that.
The celebrations culminated in a magnificent firework display, including a "waterfall" of stars from the bridge into the river. The sound and light performance before the fireworks was superb and the free runners making their way to the top of the arches before lighting their flares was a heart-in-mouth few minutes.
A wonderful engineering achievement, fully justifying the derivation of the French term for engineer which comes from the same root as genius.
The one disappointment of the evening was that the wind was too strong for the reflection in the river to complete the picture, but there'll be plenty of time for that as infinity stretches ahead.

Bananas again

Fairtrade bananas of course. Though today we weren't eating them, not in public anyway, but drawing together our submission for an award for the most imaginative way of promoting Fairtrade bananas during Fairtrade Fortnight. It was a bit of a trip down memory lane to go back over the planning and the detail of the event together, and a real eye opener to realise that we'd probably reached several thousand people at one level or another during the 24 hour period. Now I have to draw together the evidence and parcel it up for dispatch next week. Fingers crossed - we might win!
It was also a slightly sad occasion because the representative of Middlesbrough is leaving her present job and will no longer be part of any plans for future Tees Valley events. I look forward to meeting her successor.
Later in the day I went to ARC to follow up on our plans for our next Fairtrade event - wine tasting on June 11th. If you're in the Stockton area get in touch and buy a ticket - it'll be well worth it.

Difficult Decisions

Last year I chaired a scrutiny review of memorial policy and other aspects of our cemeteries. It wasn't an easy subject but it was very much needed. The old policy had been disregarded for a long time for all sorts of reasons, some good, some less so. One of the conclusions of the committee was that a proportion of each grave should be allowed for personalisation - family could plant low plants, place decorative objects or just leave it grassed to suit their own wishes. The rest of the grave would then be turfed and maintained by the council's workforce.
The first area for this to happen would be the burial area set aside for babies. It would tie in with the refurbishment of the garden, including attractive border fencing and planting. The plans looked lovely. The first stage of the work improved the borders of the garden and general planting. The next stage was to be the tidying of the graves. Sadly, a small number of parents are finding it hard to cope with the new policy and so much of today was taken up with a meeting to discuss the way forward. No-one wants to upset people who've had such a tragedy in their lives and it is taking a great deal of time to resolve the differences.
There are many problems in the way scrutiny is done in the council and how it's followed up, but on this occasion the cabinet acceptance of the recommendations has remained solid. The cabinet member is working with the council officers and I'm being included as part of all the discussions. It's good to report a success once in a while.

Liberal Democrats - the Real Opposition!

What a triumph for common sense, led by Nick Clegg! The vote on allowing Gurkhas the right to settle here. Soundbite of the day must be "If someone is prepared to die for the country surely he should have the right to live in the country." Well done to our parliamentarians - leading the opposition to this "government" is something you did well today. In the words of the school report - Keep up the good work.

We needed some good news, having been given the news that Elementis is definitely closing. 100 people out of work, victims of changes in the global economy. It's a tragedy that a company which has been part of Eaglescliffe for over 100 years should be closing just as we need every job we can keep. I know the economic arguments about factories which import all of their raw materials but it doesn't stop me feeling sad, cross and disappointed. I'd like to think that one of the newer process industries would move into the area to take up the skilled workforce but of course the plant isn't useful for anything but Chrome processing and which company will demolish and build new if they can get permission to build on an empty site somewhere else.

This evening I was asked to go and view piles of dog poo! For some reason people seem to think that the footpath between Brae Head and Glenluce Close is a dog toilet. Children use that path to travel safely to and from the primary school. A couple of months ago the same resident complained and the dog wardens did extra patrols, put up large temporary signs and all was well. Now, the signs have gone and the poo is back. What sort of person thinks that a public footpath is the right place for this sort of thing?