Council promise to stop trying to break my balls

At last the Council has following me jumping up and down decided to do something about the dreadful state of the roads around the town.

My balls are safe from the roads, all I have to do now is make sure I don't ride in to anything.

Read the whole story here

Walk On By?

The taggers have struck again on the wall between Crescent Road and Hamilton Road.

I've reported it to the Council and they are pretty good at getting the wall cleared.

If you see graffitti and tagging its so easy to report, simply ring RBC on 0118 9373737 and the helpful staff will  note the problem and get it dealt with.

Simples.......

Can You Spot the Deliberate Mistake?

So can you? I suspect not....the problem with this scene is that the lamp post show, which is outside my house hasn't worked for ages.

We have a Councillor in our road, Hamilton Road, who promised to work for the neighbourhood. But strangely we have received no communication from her about this faulty lamp post, when it will  be fixed and when the street safety will be back to normal.

Because of the thundering silence I rang the Council and was told that the post was being replaced with a new one, because the current one is defective. I hope that the fact that I walked in to it face first last year didn't do it any damage.

So look forward to a shiny new lampost - I promise I won't walk in to this one. It will be great to feel safe in the road again.

But from our local champion....nothing.

Spitzel is a horrible word

Spitzel is a horrible word. To say it say Spit and then cell and you will get 2/3rds of the way to saying it.

It sounds horrible and distasteful as if the speaker is trying to spir the sound of it off their tongue. But what does this horrible word actually mean?

It means informer in German. It is the word that describes the people in East Germany who would give information to the Stasi of their own accord. They would inform on what people did, say their Granny if she was hoarding food or watching Western TV.

So why use this horrible word in my blog? I use it because last year I had a vision of what a Spitzel could do and how people who I thought were upstanding and upright could act like a Spitzel. Let me explain....

Until mid last year I ran Hamilton Road's Neighbourhood Watch group, I managed a news group that allowed my neighbours to keep themselves safe and things like burglaries in the road. So far so good.

Early in the year a little old lady was robbed and I sent an email asking everyone to watch out for distraction robbery and to keep an eye on their neighbours to make sure they were all right.

So far so good.....

Strangely enough I was then interviewed by the local area Sargent. He had been passed my email by Park Ward's Green Party Councillor who had been sent it by one of his Party members in Hamilton Road. The Sargent had been told by the Councillor that he thought I was being political in sending this email. Despite me having been Neighbourhood Watch Coordinator for nearly2 1/2 years at that point.

Basically one of his Party members wanted to be a Spitzel, to be an informer.....I have lived in a Communist country and know a little of what a totalitarian state is like. I had never expected that someone in "nice" Hamilton Road would try to create problems via their Party leader with the Police for me.

So I realised that even people living in a prosperous road can become Spitzel. It seems that it was a Green Party member or supporter who sent the email to their Stasi like Party leader, so the perpetrator could have been anyone who put up a Green Party poster during the election.I raised the issue with the Neighbourhood Watch group but the Spitzel was not brave enough to apologise or explain.

I am not sure if all Green supporters are like this or it is just the ones who live in Hamilton Road. But what I do know is its easy to become a Spitzel. Perhaps those that do it think that they are doing the right thing but the results can be devastating. Not just on the person you inform on, but on yourself.

As I said Spitzel is a horrible word.

Out In the Streets

Richard with local residents in Hamilton Road

Just come back from a great door knocking session, I was in my own road, Hamilton, but colleagues were across the Ward.

It is really interesting speaking to your own neighbours about the issues that concern them. It seems that very few people were aware of the Conservatives new policy to fine residents for parking with their wheels on the curb. If you live in most of Hamilton or Bulmershe or Liverpool Roads it is almost the only way to park.

I was pleased ot be able to tell my neighbours and other residents that I am working with Labour colleagues in fighting the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats plans and that they are finally considering another U Turn.

So do I like door knocking, yes, and even more when I am close enough at the end of the session to walk home and have my lunch.

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

Good News and Bad News

Spent a cold afternoon looking around the student areas of the Ward, checking on how the area was left at the end of term.

The Uni will be pleased to hear that there was a lot less rubbish than there is usually at the end of term, but there were a few areas where rubbish has been left in the streets and these have been reported to both the Uni and Council.

The question really remains as to why the Landlords don't look after their properties properly. Am a bit nervous as I have noticed that one of the worst landlords in Reading has bought a property in my road. I have had dealings with him before as he had a property next to mine when I lived in Norris Road. Time will tell.

On top of this I am a little concerned about the state of the roads, having slipped over delivering leaflets the other day. I have asked the Council if they can start to grit the side roads to stop accidents and general danger.

So am looking forward to Christmas........soon be here.