End to end game with half time delayed

End to end Street Pastoring evening last night. Town seemed a bit quite and bit subdued at first and then the first evening of the year where it wasn't a million degrees below freezing went over exciting.

I went out with a different team to the one I usually work with, due to a change in shifts. Out in town for the first hour or so a strange or at least a subdued atmosphere as I got to know my new sp colleagues and we did the rounds talking to the door staff.

First incident, a group of pnuematic young ladies standing around looking in to a drain... The traditional greeting of " you alright?" Illicited the answer that one of them appeared to have dropped their ID down a drain. I don't know why they would do that , but there you are. First Street Pastor stepped in and tried to open the drain. I had a go and neither of us could shift it. Game Over..

We couldn't help anymore so left them to it, we walked over to Mangos and we found a female student and her friends. The woman was having a panic attack and her friends were at a bit of a loss how to deal. Strangely enough we have just had First Aid training, so underpants over trousers we were able to help. She was pretty, how shall we say, collapsed in a state of being tired and emotional. It had turned a tadge cold and so we broke out the survival blankets and helped her to stop hypervenilating. When she had calmed down and sobered up a tadge, her frined popped her in to taxi and off they trotted. Strangely enough we bumped in to them again about 2 mins later with the woman hanging out of the cab honking up. Fortunately we were able to deploy the full cleaning kit and got her and the cab cleaned up.

Ok it wasn't all sick there was the woman who had collapsed by O Neils and whose friends wanted to get her to Harrow. Not an easy job....... We had to persuade her to get up and then we carried her as far as the IBIS, where one of her friends had a room and she bunked up there.

On a sadder note, at the very end of the night we came across a street person, who had collapsed next to a bin. Really tricky as he got colder and colder. We wrapped him in a space blanket and tried to persuade him to go home. Although it seemed as if he didn't have a home to go to.  What to do.... we talked to him but he more or less completely passed out, so we asked the police to help. They called an ambulance and they eventually decided to take him to hospital. I hope.... Really really difficult situation, where should he go, there isn't a night shelter..I am sure we will come across the situation again and will have to find some kind comprimise again.

The night ended on this note and we were all a bit subdued. I had to rush off to bed as I had to up early to work, but that's another story.

Whitewash is Bad for you

I was very surprised to here that the Green Candidate attempted to spread his rumour about the Alfred Sutton playing fields at a recent Council meeting. This was especially surprising since he has now had clear evidence that there are no plans to build on the fields.

Never mind the fact that residents, including myself, successfully fought to have the fields protected in the 1990's. I would have thought that when a Canard is dead you should eat it.

Ho hum. I imagine that he didn't print the reply he got from the Lead Councillor on the issue so I publish it here for your information and interest. Any highlights you see are mine.

Reply to Mr White from Cllr Page

I thank Mr White for his petition but very much regret the mischief-making and scaremongering agenda that lay behind this petition. There is no threat whatsoever to the playing fields.
The Site Allocations Document is now known as the Sites and Detailed Policies Document, and the draft document is to be discussed at this meeting. The Thames Valley University playing fields are not included in the Sites and Detailed Policies Document, and there is therefore no need to remove them. The existing built form of the TVU site, along with the areas used for parking, are included as an allocation primarily for education. Should it not be required for education then the policy does allow for residential, but it is clear, and explicitly stated on page 94 of the latest document that this would not include the adjacent playing fields.
The whole Crescent Road campus, including the playing fields, was included as a candidate site in an earlier consultation version of the Site Allocations Document in 2008, as it had been nominated for development by the University – not the Council. The Council consulted on all of the approximately 100 sites that had been nominated for development, as it is required to do. The document explicitly stated on several occasions that the Council did not necessarily endorse any sites. The playing fields are among a number of sites consulted on in 2008 that are not included in the current draft document.

The Green Party at national level rightly wants science and facts to be the basis of debate and decision making. It is a pity that their local candidate typically prefers to campaign on the basis of spreading false rumours and thereby raising unjustified concerns amongst the local community.

I do hope that this will put the issue to bed, however please remember to ask any Green Campaigner when they knock on your door where they get their information from, and whether the info has been verified by any other source. - I know ask me I am happy to check.

Do you really want to hurt me?

 As the famous "Boy George" once sang, "do you really want to hurt me?" I have been wondering why people have been trying to run me over, while I lollipop.

Was trying to help some small children across the road when I saw a cyclist, from TVU, cycling along the footpath on the other side of the road. I indicated to him that it would be nice to stop and he cycled straight at me. As he passed me, by less than a foot or so, he mouthed something about not being able to see me.

For a short while I had visions of his bike collapsing under him but I put the thought away and look forward to seeing him another day.

The very next day, I was crossing the road when a mini owned by a local estate agents did a similar thing. I was helping families across the road when this cream mini, slowed down and looked like it was going to stop. Then it sped up and stopped with a few inches infront of me.

Its probably unfair to mention them, however they have the same name as the first man.....

I wonder have I go so thin that I can be seen any more? Answers on a postcard

Long time no see

Almost a week since my last post.

Been busy with work and study. Am concerned about the state of the bins in the ward. With the snow and everything some people, including me, have gone at least 3 weeks since the bins were collected.

I have written to the Council asking them to see if the bin men can collect bags that have been left by the sides of the wheelie bins. Most people seem to have just coped, however there are a significant number of people who have over flowing bins.


Also I have been working with Labour colleagues to try and find a solution to student parking problems. More of anon.

I am still waiting for a reply.

Have just come back from somemore Street Pastor training, first aid this time. Very interesting, but unfortunately it brought back some nasty memories from when I had a very nasty motorcycle accident and the group almost had to practice their first aid on me. I came over all faint and had to leave the room.

The picture shows some of my Street Pastor colleagues practicing the putting someone in the recovery position.

I like Pasty's

Its 2.30am and I've just seen a lad in the bus stop outside the Q bar looking, shall we say, confused. He sits on the bus stop bench with a thump and his checks billow.

I imagine that you know what happens next. Technicolour yawn, driving the porcelain bus home, talking to ralf, yes he throws up over himself and a portion of the bus stop. Probably not the worst thing to happen on Friday night, but he has now made himself unable to get home by taxi, as no one will take him, and perhaps he's been abandoned by his mates.

We walk towards him. In the Street Pastors kit we've got water, wipes, lollipops and if need be a space blanket. The later isn't needed but he gulps down the water to clean his mouth, the wet wipe sponges him down and washes his face so he looks presentable enough to get home. At the same time the rest of his mates turn up ad we check that they can manage and they whisk him off home.

The same place roughly, but a bit earlier in the evening. A lad is shouting the odds at the assembled Police officers and is very agitated. We move over to chat to him, to see what is going on. He tells us that he is f****** angry as he and his brother had been thrown out of a bar and the Police were talking to his brother and didn't want him to intervene. He on the other hand wants to sort out the problem with the Police. A lollipop and a chat persuades him that if he charges over to where his brother is talking to the Police, the Police are likely to arrest them both and the evening will be over, except for the hour or two he will spend in the cells. We chat to him, speak to the Police and after he calms down a bit his brother appears. They both stagger off in to the darkness to carry on their evenings excitements.

Apart from this we picked up loads of glass, gave out flip flops to those suffering from high high heel trauma and gave out loads of lollipops. Three am home on my push bike, tired tired tired and buzzed up by an exciting evening as a Street Pastor.

We Dig, Dig, Dig, Dig the whole day through

Saturday saw me working with Parents and Governors at Alfred Sutton to try and get the car park cleared and make paths through the snow so the school could open.

We had a great day working as teams to clear the snow. It was about 8 inches deep across the car park and a bit deeper within the school. There were about 20 people working very hard, and only on the promise of a cup of tea and a portion of chips to keep going.

The effort was greatly helped by one of the Dad's going home and making 2 massive snow shovles, without these I don't think that we would have done it so quickly. Starting at 10 o'clock three of us were steadily joined by more and more people so that by 3 o'clock we had finished. We were a very international group, with Brits working with Dutch, German and Romanian to deafet the snow. You can see what we acheived in the before and after photos.

It was great fun, but if everyone was a tired as I was there were a lot of very quite homes that evening. I managed to fall asleep on the sofa at about 6pm and had to crawl to bed at 9.30pm. I still ache....

So the snow continues, please remember your neighbours to make sure that everyone is ok in the snowy week.

Snow, Snow, Snow

No post yesterday, as I spent the day being distracted by the snow.  The picture shows the snow first thing infront of my house.

First hour or so was spent digging cars out of the snow with residents from Crescent Rd and then knocking on the door of older residents to see if they are ok. Had an impromptu discussion with some of my neighbours about cleaning the pavements.

What has impressed me is how people seem to be talking to each other. I have a big Russian fur hat which I have been wearing in the cold and lots of passers by have been stopping to talk to me about it. I have also been cycling about the streets as it is quicker to get about than by foot and this has caused a few conversations. I was pleased to be able to get up the slope by Newtown School to 2 wheels. Will have to take a break from cycling as I have broken the bike....

The members of the Neighbourhood Watch received the following message from the Police which I share here for you.

Message from TVP


This is a Message from Reading LPA Commander A/Supt Jim Weems please could we encourage you to look out for any of your neighbours who may be elderly or vulnerable, particularly so during these adverse weather conditions. Some people who are elderly or infirm are unable to leave their properties when snow and ice are on the ground and may need help to purchase essentials. We would ask if you could look out for anyone in your Neighbourhood Watch Scheme who may need some help during this time and as a community consider whether you need to call in extra help. Thank you for your help.

Motorists are being urged to be responsible and only travel if it is absolutely essential to do so.

A lot of schools are closed tomorrow Friday, including Alfred Sutton, I attach a link to Heartfmwho have a full list of closures.

Link to HeartFM Website