I popped out for a pint of milk which I managed to pick up from Lakeland continetal, It was about half five, it was dark, as the clocks went back last night, and it was raining. All in all a miserable evening. I had my friend Ewan with me and I suggested we take a detour on our way back to Sun street. Lets take a walk up Gill banks I said as I was interested to see Geoff Dellows candlelit walk that he was going to set up for Halloween. We made our way towards the entrance to Gill banks where we could see lights flickering in the distance and we're met at the start of the path by a couple of black clad witches. They told us that poor Geoff had fallen in the water whilst putting out some of the lanterns. Geoff appeared out of the darkness seemingly quite dry, I assume he had been home and changed, but maybe not knowing Geoff.
Before us lay a string of fairy lights, it was still raining, and some of the candles were being extinguished by the elements. However, there were still enough of these to light our way towards the top path. below us we walked through a magical array of flickering lights everywhere. It was very pretty and a testament to the dedication of a few people who had turned out in such foul conditions to create such a lovely event. As we reach to top of the rise some poor soul was struggling to reignite those lanterns that had been snuffed out. He reckoned they had upwards of six hundred candles in jam jars and even if some were not alight it was still enough for us to pick our way towards the ginnel that leads to Sun street. When we finally arrived at the point where we needed to leave the path there was even lights directing us towards the entrance to the track to home.
Clawing our way up the muddy bank we eventually found the ginnel and before long we were back in Sun street. It had been a lovely experience, even in the rain. I hope that we were just two of many people who took that walk tonight and I want to thank Geoff and his helpers for creating such a special, if not too spooky experience. These are the sort of things that show off our sense of community, and although at times I think Geoff a bit a cooky tonight I think he and his volunteers excelled themselves.
So a big vote of thanks here from me, you made halloween a bit special, if you missed it you missed a treat.
10.31.2010
10.26.2010
It's not broke so don't fix it
An outbreak of common sense descended upon the council chamber last night. The highways agency wanted to create designated bus clearways in King street and victoria road. One of these was going to be outside the Rose and Crown and the other outside the Red Rose club. Buses already use these two areas to drop off and pick up passengers and have done for years. Sometimes these points have vehicles parked in them and the buses have to stop in the middle of the road therefore holding up the traffic up whilst doing so.
We've put up with this inconvenience and in a way we expect it in our sleepy little market town, but the highways agency want to speed things up, I suppose, and suggested that these clearways would do just that.
They asked for our opinion on the plan and we suggested that they do nothing, we're quite happy with the way things are, we told them to keep their paint in their pots.
It was a breath of fresh air, proposing to do nothing, it's not broke so don't fix it.
We've put up with this inconvenience and in a way we expect it in our sleepy little market town, but the highways agency want to speed things up, I suppose, and suggested that these clearways would do just that.
They asked for our opinion on the plan and we suggested that they do nothing, we're quite happy with the way things are, we told them to keep their paint in their pots.
It was a breath of fresh air, proposing to do nothing, it's not broke so don't fix it.
10.18.2010
Why it can't or can be done
When I became elected as a local councillor I naively thought that I could make a difference, get things done, make the town a better place. Slowly I began to realise that this was a very wet behind the ears notion. Lots of issues were raised by me and my fellow councillors over the last six years I've been doing this, most of the time, in fact probably all of the time all we ever did was to ask the town clerk to send a very strongly worded letter to who ever we thought was the person or department responsible at SLDC, Cumbria County council or even the Government. We sometimes would receive a reply telling us why whatever we had asked to be done or not done could not be done.
What we often wanted to happen was that the nincompoop that was responsible for some hair-brained scheme be sacked or at the least be asked to come and grovel before the baying councillors. We sometimes did get a visit from some minion who would explain away why this or that action had to be carried out, or not carried out. This always seemed to fall way short of what we wanted but as the council is run in a polite manner most of these representatives would get away with a their lame excuse because in the end it was not their fault, they were simply following orders or working through policy set down by the bureaucracy that employed them. It is like wading through treacle. So nothing gets done, or things get done that you don't want to get done, that's how local government works, or doesn't work. It's basically an exercise in frustration that often leads nowhere. And all the time somebody is getting paid to make nothing happen, or to make something happen that you don't want to happen.
And then we have the public consultations that take place, undoubtedly a great cost, with the idea that we will have some influence on policy, that will inform the decisions of the powers that be. Do you remember the community travel plan from back in 2008. It was an elaborate farce to help us reduce our carbon footprint.
Here is an extract from my blog back in 2008 announcing the result of this costly exercise.
You see the plan was to help us cut down on our towns carbon footprint. This meant that any ideas that benefited pedestrians or cyclists or public transport would be considered as a priority. So top of the list of things that the CCC will do to improve things in Ulverston is to erect a notice board in the town centre which will tell us what times the trains run, cost £2,500. All I can say is this better be a very snazzy notice board.>The other "major" improvements were a pavement in theatre st. and a smooth crossing of Market st for wheelchairs, oh and some secure bike racks.
Today I tried a search of the CCC website to find out what had become of the result of this survey, to find out where we were with the outcomes of this consultation. Typing Community Travel Plan into their search box returned no matches, NADA, 0 no reference to it anywhere.
We don't have our notice board, or our disabled crossing point on market street, not one thing from that consultation has taken place. No wonder we get frustrated.
If we were French maybe we would be marching, maybe we would be lying in the 590, maybe we would be burning effigies of the County Councils big chief, but being British we just shrug our shoulders and ask the town clerk to send a strongly worded letter, that should do the trick.
What we often wanted to happen was that the nincompoop that was responsible for some hair-brained scheme be sacked or at the least be asked to come and grovel before the baying councillors. We sometimes did get a visit from some minion who would explain away why this or that action had to be carried out, or not carried out. This always seemed to fall way short of what we wanted but as the council is run in a polite manner most of these representatives would get away with a their lame excuse because in the end it was not their fault, they were simply following orders or working through policy set down by the bureaucracy that employed them. It is like wading through treacle. So nothing gets done, or things get done that you don't want to get done, that's how local government works, or doesn't work. It's basically an exercise in frustration that often leads nowhere. And all the time somebody is getting paid to make nothing happen, or to make something happen that you don't want to happen.
And then we have the public consultations that take place, undoubtedly a great cost, with the idea that we will have some influence on policy, that will inform the decisions of the powers that be. Do you remember the community travel plan from back in 2008. It was an elaborate farce to help us reduce our carbon footprint.
Here is an extract from my blog back in 2008 announcing the result of this costly exercise.
You see the plan was to help us cut down on our towns carbon footprint. This meant that any ideas that benefited pedestrians or cyclists or public transport would be considered as a priority. So top of the list of things that the CCC will do to improve things in Ulverston is to erect a notice board in the town centre which will tell us what times the trains run, cost £2,500. All I can say is this better be a very snazzy notice board.>The other "major" improvements were a pavement in theatre st. and a smooth crossing of Market st for wheelchairs, oh and some secure bike racks.
Today I tried a search of the CCC website to find out what had become of the result of this survey, to find out where we were with the outcomes of this consultation. Typing Community Travel Plan into their search box returned no matches, NADA, 0 no reference to it anywhere.
We don't have our notice board, or our disabled crossing point on market street, not one thing from that consultation has taken place. No wonder we get frustrated.
If we were French maybe we would be marching, maybe we would be lying in the 590, maybe we would be burning effigies of the County Councils big chief, but being British we just shrug our shoulders and ask the town clerk to send a strongly worded letter, that should do the trick.
10.13.2010
Grey Area
From Graham Anderson at SLDC
hi.
nick pearson asked me to update you on the cleansing of county square
the routine cleansing is the responsibility of sldc however the area outside coronation hall is washed down and cleansed by their caretaker
the area outside the post office has now been washed down by s l d c unfortunately there are signs of the start of a build up of chewing gum
flatgum embedded on the surface is not classed as litter and is not the responsibility of sldc but the highway authority. this is a gray area
alternative ways of dealing with this problem is to involve the probation service young offenders can do this work but they will need equipment
this would have to provided. or outside contractors can remove this gum but this is costly we will monitor this situation
A grey area, I suppose that's quite a good pun.
hi.
nick pearson asked me to update you on the cleansing of county square
the routine cleansing is the responsibility of sldc however the area outside coronation hall is washed down and cleansed by their caretaker
the area outside the post office has now been washed down by s l d c unfortunately there are signs of the start of a build up of chewing gum
flatgum embedded on the surface is not classed as litter and is not the responsibility of sldc but the highway authority. this is a gray area
alternative ways of dealing with this problem is to involve the probation service young offenders can do this work but they will need equipment
this would have to provided. or outside contractors can remove this gum but this is costly we will monitor this situation
A grey area, I suppose that's quite a good pun.
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