What a Great Shame

I am only too well aware that, no matter how much planning goes into organising an event, there is one thing you cannot control and that is the weather! And last weekend proved the point across the country for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations. So many events were either washed off or severely affected by the rain.

Janet and I popped into town last weekend to support the street party but, sadly, very few others had done the same! And you can't blame them because it was chucking it down. Members of the public were outnumbered by some very cold and wet stewards - such a shame. But at least the Town Mayor, Cllr. Mike Shaw, managed to find some shelter and put on a brave face!

And then the following night we went down to Crown Meadow to watch the beacon being lit and to see the fireworks. Thankfully it was a dry night but very few people had turned out - probably three to four hundred at most. I have to say this climax to the weekend had been very poorly advertised. Even the single banner on Morrison's railings advertised the event as taking place in Westbridge Park! Which was a great pity because it was another great firework display - fired, of course, by Stone's very own team of fireworks supremos, Charles Purton et al! Good one, Charlie.

What was the point?

Against my better judgement, I agreed last night to go with a couple of pals to the Annual Meeting of Stone Town Council held in the Station. In the event, I wasted twenty minutes of valuable drinking time!

Apparently it is a legal requirement that such a meeting be held to enable the Council to report to the public and to afford members of the public an opportunity to question their elected representatives. Well that sounds all very commendable but in practice it's a farce!

So what happened? Well, Cllr. June Price, the Town Mayor recited from a list of events that had taken place in the town over the last twelve months - none of which, bar one, had been organised by the Town Council. Stone's County Councillor, Phillip Jones, gave a report which only briefly referred to Stone but managed to weave in words such as "austerity", "growth" and "coalition"!

Then the floor was handed over to the public. Antony Lucas, as Chairman of Stone in Bloom, took thirty seconds to thank the Council for it's support and I took a further thirty seconds to point out that, according to research carried by Taste of Staffordshire,  the Stone Food and Drink Festival generated almost £400,000 additional revenue for the town. And that was it! The Mayor then used her gavel to close the meeting and the only 'real' member of the public sitting next to me was totally bewildered!

He thought he was coming to see 'democracy in action' and that he might have heard something about the Christchurch Way controversy, the negative comments about our thriving High Street or the recent graffiti problems. But not so! As we bade him farewell, he was wondering how he was going to explain his swift return home to his wife - he'd warned her he might be out late!

When I retired from local politics last year, I vowed I would never attend another Council meeting. I am now wishing I'd stuck to my resolution!

A Change of Heart

Some time ago, I harangued Stone Town Council for penny pinching when they were dealing with an application for a grant to Stone in Bloom. So I was pleased to hear that there had been a change of mind on the part of a majority of Town Councillors at a recent meeting and that the application for a £2000 grant from the Stone in Bloom committee has now been approved.

Common sense has prevailed, thank goodness! Stone in Bloom are up against some stiff competition this year because they have been entered in the national competition. What an accolade for the town. And they need every penny they can raise. So if you're in town on a Farmers Market day, make sure you buy one of their mugs,  get yourself a badge or sign up as a Friend of Stone in Bloom. A good result in the national competition will really put Stone on the map!

Credit where credit's due!

Some time ago I was highly critical of the new boxes which had been installed to contain the electric power supply in the High Street. They were unpainted galvanised steel boxes and tarmac had been tamped around the bases - all looking pretty ugly.

That's better!

Well, today, I am pleased to report that the boxes have been painted black and the tarmac replaced by cement. A vast improvement! I asssume that the Town Council are responsible so I retract my original criticism and thank the council for finishing the job properly.

I sincerely hope that traders at the monthly Farmers' Market and stallholders on the town market, such as the oatcake trailer, will have access to the electric supply. Traders who have refridgerated cabinets and who require lights will only come to town if they can plug in.

A Despicable Act of Meanness

I left the world of town politics behind me last May when I decided not to stand again as a candidate in the Town and Borough Council elections. And I have to say I haven’t regretted my decision at all. In fact looking back over my eight years of involvement with the Town Council I now realise that whatever we achieved was done at no small cost to my private life, my health and my temper!

So, since last May, I have regained a lifestyle I am now thoroughly enjoying; attained a normal blood pressure and have rediscovered my former placid approach to life!

But just occasionally something happens to make me see red again. And it happened this weekend!

Now before I start, let me declare an interest. When Stafford Borough Council withdrew their support from Stone in Bloom five years ago, I and several others were adamant that Stone in Bloom would not be allowed to die. We formed an independent group of volunteers to carry on with SIB and I was delighted to be part of the group that then went on to win Gold Awards in the next three consecutive years. I then retired from In Bloom but have always followed their progress with great interest.  And it has been to their great credit that last year Stone in Bloom won Gold again and, for the first time in history, were put through to the National competition this year! Yes, through to the National competition!  Competing against the likes of Belper, Chichester,Coleraine,Dumphries, Huntingdon, Rhyl and Truro - some of the biggest names in 'In Bloom' across the country. How’s that for putting Stone on the map?

So SIB has been working non stop to ensure that Stone’s entry this year will do the town credit on the national stage. Planting trees, planting bulbs, renovating the flower bed in Granville Square, work parties out almost every week, etc, etc. – all in their own time. And of course they can’t do that without funding. They’ve done a massive amount of fund raising themselves (indeed they were out in town on Saturday at the Farmers’ Market selling SIB merchandise) But the competing towns will almost all have massive local authority funding. Tens of thousands of pounds will be allocated to some of the entrants by their local authorities. So Stone in Bloom submitted an application to Stone Town Council for a grant of £2000. A perfectly reasonable request for a modest amount to assist this year’s entry in a competition of national importance.

Last week the Town Council committee responsible for grants considered the application and decided they could only recommend a grant of £1500! Of course we are living in times of austerity and of course there will be competing demands for available funds. But what sort of a message is this? Surely the Town Council should embrace the opportunity to fully support a great group of volunteers who are giving up so much of their time and effort to enable Stone to compete nationally and to promote this fantastic town of ours. Stone in Bloom has always punched well above its weight but the Town Council now seem intent on tying one of their hands behind their back.

This year is a very special and unique year for Stone in Bloom – entrants in the national competition. And a penny pinching Town Council has failed to give them the full support they need. Shameful.

The lights are on!

Last Thursday hundreds of people went down to town to see the Christmas lights switch on event. I was slightly disappointed. Yes, of course, there was a good turn out - there always is. And yes, the school children were great. The Town Band did their bit. The Town Mayor pressed the button and Santa  gave the kids a wave. And the kids loved the fair ground. All very predictable

But compared to some of the switch -on events we have staged in the past, it was a poor show. Hire in Signal Radio and Warwick's Fairground and let them get on with it seemed to be the plan. No buzz, no wow factor. Or am I just being a miserable former councillor?

An outrageous waste of public money

'A Little Bit of Stone' website is carrying a very interesting story about the recent Christchurch Way alterations. In particular, the article quotes the County Council's response to a recent Freedom of Information request asking about costs and consultation. And very interesting reading it makes! Take a look to see what I mean.

Firstly, there is an admission that no consultation was carried out before the trial scheme was implemented. There's a 'fob off' that there was a 'discussion' with the local elected member. This is of course, Cllr. Philip Jones, who has crusaded for this scheme from day one. The reply also says that there was a discussion with Stone Town Council. Well, I was on the council until May and can vouch for the fact that no proposal was ever discussed. And having spoken to a current councillor, I am assured that no mention has since been made in Council.

Next the answer explains that, to date, a total of £20,000 has been spent on this trial.  Yes £20,000! When I was a councillor we often asked for Highways to carry out urgent works. What was the stock response?  "Sorry, we have no budget"

And then the response makes the most damaging admission of all. No Road Safety Audit was ever carried out before the existing crossing was replaced by the temporary one above Mill Street. On that admission alone the officer who authorised the scheme should be sacked immediately. Pedestrians are now herded by temporary barriers to cross the  unprotected Mill Street junction to use the temporary crossing. Never in a month of Sundays should this arrangement pass a Road Safety Audit. Pedestrians are crossing Mill Street around a blind corner at a point where cars are approaching on a down hill slope. And if the solution to that is the installation of another set of traffic lights to control the crossing across Mill Street, then the whole object of the exercise (i.e. to avoid queues of vehicles waiting to get out of Morrison's car park) is defeated.

Finally, what value can be placed on the 'trial? It is being held in summer weather. It is being held in the school holidays. It has been held with no consultation.It has been conducted with no Safety Audit. It is being held prior to Morrisons introducing a Pay and Display scheme on their car park. And nobody has yet raised the impact of this scheme on the High Street. Will people bother to cross the road into town if they have to negotiate all the obstacles the scheme places in their way?

Whoever submitted the FoI request deserves our thanks. The response has revealed what a shambles this scheme has been from the start. The sooner it is scrapped the better. Enough council tax money has been wasted already.

Well what a surprise!

When I retired from local politics I was so relieved to be making 'a clean break'. Despite several temptations, I have not had too much difficulty in resisting the temptation to throw in my 'three penneth' whenever an issue has arisen. Indeed I have, on occasions, had a somewhat smug feeling when I've been able to  announce that I'm not in the least interested in whatever the latest 'hot issue' is.

But after opening today's Newsletter, I really can't allow the opportunity to pass by without saying something about the article announcing that Stone Town Council has been ordered to pay the costs of a public inquiry held to determine a 'frivolous' objection they raised to a Stopping Up order.

It is a scandal that certain councillors ignored legal advice given by their clerk and pursued an objection which was wholly unsustainable. This all happened before the last election when I was still a councillor, so thank goodness that in the debates I dissociated myself from those who pursued this waste of council tax. A couple of them are even quoted in today's article as still trying to justify their position. The sadness is that it will be the council tax payers of Stone, not them, who will be paying for this ill conceived piece of nonsense.

Farewell David

Yesterday was the last working day of David Turner's years as Clerk to Stone Town Council. Officially he retires at the end of the month but with outstanding holidays and leave due, yesterday was his last day at his desk. And I am very sad to see him go.

David became Town Clerk in 1997 and has been heavily involved in most of the good things that have occurred in Stone over the last 14 years. Very much a 'hands-on' projects man with vision he will be able to look back with satisfaction at the many improvements that have taken place during his stint at the helm. The most obvious example is the Stone Station Community Centre. Backed by a Town Council which had the vision and commitment, David project managed the scheme which saved a derelict Stone Station from falling into disrepair and has left the town with a facility to be proud of. And at no cost to the ratepayers! All done by way of grants!

And there are numerous other examples of his enthusiasm to progress new ideas. The fantastic 'Smile' initiative in the late nineties was one of the first and most succesful scheme of cooperation between local businesses and Town Councils to promote the town. Then there have been Christmas Lights and switch on events, street parties, cycle races, improved street markets and numerous other events that have put Stone on the map.

Interestingly, although most people regard Stone as a Tory stronghold, out of the fourteen years David has served the town, the Tories have only had control of the Council for two and a half years. Which perhaps explains why David has been able to achieve so much over the years!T he town will be a poorer place without David Turner. He was a great support to me during my three years as Chairman of the General Purposes Committee. Whoever takes his place has a hard act to follow.

And so it was that last night a group of us spent the night with David standing at the bar in The Pheasant and wishing David a happy retirement. A great get together spoilt only by the fact that I had to leave before midnight in case my wife turned me into a pumpkin!

Sad news

I've just received a telephone call informing me that Mike Carey died last night. Mike was a Town and Borough Councillor for the Walton Ward and was quite a character in local politics. Whilst he and I had many differences when I was on the two councils and whilst his politics were very different from mine, I have always admired his tenacity and skill in arguing his case.

He has not been in good health for a long time but only yesterday I heard that he was out of hospital and awaiting an operation.

How sad. He will be missed.

The Staffordshire Hoard - is there a Stone connection?

I spent a fascinating hour last Thursday looking at over forty items from The Staffordshire Hoard on display in the Shire Hall at Stafford - part of the 'Staffordshire Hoard on Tour' exhibition. What a revelation! For my history O level, we 'did' Elizabeth the first and the Civil War. I have to admit that I knew absolutely zilch about what happened after the Romans went home in about 400 AD and the arrival of the Normans in 1066. I suppose I assumed the natives went back into the woods and became 'hunter gatherers' all over again! Well, clearly not so!

The Hoard is spectacular. Consisting almost entirely a battle booty, it contains the most exquisite pieces of sword and shield decorations imaginable. Gold and silver work so fine it's difficult to imagine craftsmanship of that quality even today. And precious stones and inlays that are truly beautiful. But no jewellery, no costume pieces, no broaches or anything relating to women -  just military decorations. And all ripped off and scrunched up. So, sword bosses but no swords. Shield and helmet decorations but no shields or helmets. The hoard is very obviously the spoils of war - just the bits of value removed purely for their value.But no-one knows where they came from, why they were collected or why they were buried in a field near to Tamworth. The Hoard raises questions which will keep the historians busy for years!

And the Hoard was buried at the time of battles in what was then called Mercia. And of course, it was at this very time that Stone became established! King Penda of Mercia is mentioned several times in the Hoard literature and it was his offspring who ended up living at Bury Bank and who eventually started killing each other. Hence a pile of stones piled over the body of Wulfere and - as they say - the rest is history! Stone was established as a result including the building of a Christian Priory
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Now I noticed that next year, the partner councils promoting the Hoard are establishing a Mercian Trail across the county linking the museums in Hanley and Birmingham and joining up with Lichfield and Tamworth which both have strong Mercian histories. Surely Stone has a strong enough Mercian connection to be included in the Trail?

 Perhaps the Tourism committee of the new Town Council could take up the cudgels to get us on the Mercian Trail map?