Taking the time to vote

Last week we had the joy of the first ever televised debate between the three main leaders dominating the parliamentary landscape. Most people seem to agree that Nick Clegg stood head and shoulders above the other two and managed to captivate viewers. Certainly the Lib Dem ratings lifted considerably.

I've been out and about supporting Adrian Sanders who has done a fantastic job as Member for Torbay and is now seeking election once again. Adrian is a 'local lad' with a clear understanding of what it means to live in Torbay. It is a shame that so many parliamentary candidates seem to be "imports" rather than local!

What I really wanted to say is that most people seem to have only one man in mind as the next Chancellor of the Exchequer - VINCE CABLE and I am sure that this is also a contributary factor in the surge of Lib Dem popularity. Back in 2006 I made myself quite ill worrying about where we were all heading economically. I worried that we were more like lemmings rather than hamsters. You see a hamster simply spins the wheel and is safe from harm. We all know about lemmings.

Vince Cable wrote a brilliant little book called The Storm : The World Economic Crisis and What it Means. Dr Vince Cable is a clever man and clearly understands the way ahead. By the way you can help the economy by supporting local bookshops and I know that Torbay Bookshop has this book in stock (http://www.torbaybookshop.co.uk/).

As a Lib Dem I hope that power shifts that way, however whoever forms the next government l pray that they have the wisdom to make Vice Cable the next Chancellor!

Frank Sobey

The Sign of the Cross

In the banter of conversation that escapes around the edges of an excited group it is possible, from time to time, to catch a snippet that somehow underpins my thinking about the increasingly secular society that we inhabit. The story, being told by a lad of perhaps sixteen or seventeen, was of a visit with his school to a large 'cathedral thing' in Bristol. It seems that the whole experience was a little scary, but the scariest thing was a huge 'cross thing' hanging from the roof . For a moment I thought there would be punch line but there wasn't and so this was simply the telling of a story.

Of course the giant cross was the essential truth underpinning two-thousand years of English Christianity, which in the scheme of things had passed this young man without impacting at all. But then in this secular world why should it?

Well it seems to me that somewhere is the maelstrom of educational theory someone has made the decision to extract this topic from the curriculum and in doing so has given history a sort of lobotomy. This is of course not a matter of faith but of the correct telling of our story so far. Meanwhile I have to report that the story being told by young friend seemed to be greeted with looks of shared bafflement. Hey ho....

My own life is all that I can hope to control

Singer-songwriter Tom Paxton wrote many beautiful songs with some clever and meaningful lyrics. For me perhaps the most captivating words formed part of the song 'Peace Will Come'..."My own life is all I can hope to control, oh let my life be lived for the good of my soul.'

Well there you have it! We live in curious times and the only way we will change things is to stop thinking about what we can't do and start thinking about what we can do. If as Tom Paxton suggests that your own life is all you can hope to control then that has to be a good starting point as we lurch into 2010!

One of the things that has always had me scratching my head is this unwillingness to take responsibility for daily events. We here's one little exercise to help change that. Pick up a brush and sweep the pavement outside your house. While you are at it give the gutter a quick brush also. Now look around and think about neighbours who can't do that simple thing because of illness or infirmity and give their pavement a quick brush. Now you have done something to improve your environment and also helped others.

Do all this with a friendly smile that will radiate and light up the world. Happy New Year.....

Rain Clouds

Sometimes I like the look of clouds especially on the edge of darkness as the lights of distant ships ring the Torbay horizon. The credit crunch has brought many more ships here as long term visitors waiting market changes. There is a camera at Harbour Sports Paignton (http://www.harbour.co.uk/) that somehow catches the mood of the sea at night, offering a view that ancient harbourmasters loved and lost a while as computer screens replaced open windows.

Rain against the window

Wednesday night and Paignton Harbour is being battered by troublesome waves that lift the boats still left in the water. Not the best of times to have left your boat on harbour moorings, but there you go. The colourful Harbour Sports windows catch the eye of folk staggering between the various harbour watering holes with collars lifted against the cold rain spattered wind. In a changing world Paignton Harbour offers the welcome of a harbour community, special people used to the changing seasons...............................