Monday 24 December 2012

Year's End

This is my last instalment until the New Year.  And again I’ve slipped into four weeks worth …

Saturday 24th November I had a stand at the Green Fayre – as usual I’d left things to the last minute and was making stock any spare minute I had in the week leading up to it!  Annoyingly this clashed with the local Labour Party’s first Policy Conference.  Believe it or not I actually wanted to go to it but I’d booked & paid for the stand months before.  And as I’m sure I’ve said to some of you I believe you are no good as a councillor if you haven’t got a life, and this time ‘life’ came first.

December has been a slightly ‘gentler’ month what with Christmas on the horizon, (and this can make it all too easy to forget that for some people like the homeless it’s just another day).  Still had a smattering of meetings, like planning, Trustees (shortest meeting I’ve ever been to!) full council where we said ‘goodbye’ to Richard Parry, Director of Education, and former Chief Superintendent Mark Mathias, and a PACT meeting.  These are the ones where community police come to hear concerns raised by the public.  Although these are never that well attended by residents I still feel they are worthwhile even if only one person turns up.  Phone & e-mail are fine most of the time, but it’s great to see people face to face and hopefully help resolve an issue.

In the last week I visited TOPIC House & the Phoenix Centre to pass on seasons greetings, and also scoff a very naughty but nice fry-up in the cafĂ© – strongly recommend going there as very reasonably priced and even the small breakfast is plenty.  Also went to Seaview School’s nativity play in St Nicholas Church.  I have an admission to make as I really don’t enjoy kids singing – usually too noisy and out of tune!  But you can’t beat these for enthusiasm, and the animals, ‘sheep’ especially’ were all very cute.

That’s it until January but as Arnie says ‘I’ll be back!’ (only not in that weird Austrian/American accent!!)

Les