Bird song
bumped me from a restless sleep shortly after four this morning. Grey light
crept into the house as I stumbled to the loo scratching hay-fever fuelled eyes
with my mind ploughing the remnants of a dramatic dream-scape. I've always been
fascinated by a dream world where time and location seem to have no
limitation. My kaleidoscope mind captures all too often the dream memory
and gives reality a curious twist.
Climbing
back into bed I made a hopeless attempt at sleep but by then the daemons were already
snapping and so I've been shuffling papers since then in the hope of hammering
down a few loose ends. That exercise has had limited success but at least an
attempt has been made. In these troubled times the number of loose ends seem to
grow on a daily basis.
Talking
of loose ends I was asked by a group yesterday whether I would consider
standing for mayor! This is the second time I have been asked but this
time by a different group of folk. Sadly I know that
I would make a hopeless mayor since my mind is fractured and my body
aching. It's not just that of course. To do that job you need to have the
skin of a rhinoceros and that is also something I lack. I am aware though
that quite a number of people locally are already gearing up in the hope of becoming
the next head honcho in 2015.
I have
also gone on record as saying that Torbay is too small for an executive mayor
and that much power is therefore in the hands of one man (or woman) which goes,
it seems to me, against the local democratic process. Gordon Oliver was
also against the concept of an elected mayor and at the time of his
election had sought clarity as to how the post could be terminated. It seems to
me that this might be a time for an update followed hopefully by abolition!
What do you think? Of course we would have to have another referendum to undo
what has been done in creating the office but perhaps it is time to do exactly
that.
Something happened the other day to make me smile. As many of you will
know I have become increasingly concerned about the future of the multi million
pound Parkfield Centre in Paignton. The new parkfield Centre with its
international standard BMX track, for those of you who don’t know, is hidden
behind the old Parkfield House at the north end of Paignton Green. That concern
had me writing formally to Gordon Oliver and Director of Children’s Services
Richard Williams. The response was immediate and at 0800hrs the following
morning I found myself meeting Torbay’s cheerful Localities Service Manager
Gail Rogers at Parkfield. Gail walked me around the grounds and paused for a
while in front of the old Parkfield House. The grass had been cut and the
estate tidied! That brought a smile to my battered face and her balanced view
of what was happening buoyed me considerably. As I say these are hard times and
therefore every reason for trying harder rather than simply shrugging drooping
shoulders!
It’s all too easy to let things slip because it all seems so difficult
and yet to be quite honest simply sitting back really shouldn’t be an option. It’s
a bit like accepting the empty tennis courts at Oldway Mansion. Wimbledon is
kicking off and the UK is about to go tennis mad. Work hasn’t started at Oldway
yet the numerous tennis courts stand empty! But there you go, that’s the state
of play. Or not!
This is your community and your time. We all need to engage in what is
happening locally rather than waiting for someone else to make the running.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. Get to know your local
councillors. Help them to do what they have been elected to do. Attend if you
can the occasional council committee meeting and perhaps a full council
meeting. Write when you feel the need to comment, not necessarily just to point
out what is making you unhappy but also to praise what is making you happy. For
starters you can have a think about whether we need an elected mayor and make
those views known. Why not drop your MP a line and get his view. Perhaps our
mayor would also like to hear your views. Remember you do have a vote. At least
you should have and so perhaps this is the time to check that your name is on
the electoral roll!
Keep the smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment