Why do people keep trying to sqaush me?

Ok another week of ward things over but before we go any further I must have a bit of a rant. I have calmed down a lot but am still more than a little peeved.

I love lollipoping but have spent the week trying to allow young children and their parents to cross the road. A simple request surely. Where I work there are wiggly lines to discourage/stop people letting passengers off in front of the school. There are huge signs saying no stopping and still car drivers stop and get arsey, can I say that in my own blog? When I ask then not to let people off there.

I think my limit was reached when I went up to a driver, who was a vicar, someone I've met an who was a vicar of a local church, started giving me back chat, saying things like I can park here because there's a traffic jam. To say I am fed up of drivers doing this, do people have no shame? What can I do to stop this, not sure, I am pretty sure that the arming of lollipop men hasn't been approved....

Thought I had got over it but looking at the rant above but obviously not.

On the ward front spent the week speaking to residents, had a good couple of conversations this morning and picking up on ward work. All very everyday and not as exciting as the lollipop thing but neccessary none the less.

Ok I know I haven't posted for a while.

Have been learning how Uni students cope on a very small income. Been working part time, ringing Germany for the Uni. Hard work so haven't had the energy to blog for a week or so.

BUT have been working. I've been out alot of nights taking to residents about the issues they face in their road. People seem pleased to see someone taking an interest in their issues. Mind you it is so cold door knocking at the moment. I have my Labour Party Beenie to keep me warm though.

With it being Half Term there's been no Lollipoping. Thought this would make more time, but the reverse has been the case, I've been working part time, talking to residents and watching the Union Hustings for the Students' Union President and Vice President. It was interesting to see the disconnect between some of the candidates and how to contect with residents. I was particularly concerned about one of the candidates for President, she was long on wants short on action.

So why is Prezza smiling on my blog. I got the chance to interview him on Junction 11, the Students' radio station. If you are about on Friday, listen to the interview between 4 and 5 pm.

What's on in the Ward

Things are stepping up with the snow gone and the evenings getting lighter.

I spent an interesting evening consulting residents in the Ward about issues that affect them. Had to stop in the end as a; it was getting too dark and b; Tea overload.

On a different note I have spent time talking to the Students' Union and various students about their housing concerns. It was very interesting to see and hear the problems that Students at Uni face. I have always been keen on improving housing. I cannot believe that some of the Landlords allow their houses to get in to such a bad state. One student was telling me that they have to wear shoes inside all the time as every room has a leak in it and the carpets are always damp. Nice. I took the issue up with the Students' Union to understand their view.

I was pleased to see that some of the pressure which I have been bringing on the Uni and elsewhere is bearing fruit. The Uni has organised for a big clean up in Go Green week, not just for the Uni but also for the Grange Road area.

I wish them a lot of luck and am so pleased to see the Uni trying to engage the local area.

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.