November Falls

Well, the clocks will have been put back and we will be in those dark dismal SAD days of winter. Why do we do this? We could save ourselves a whole bunch of energy [and money] if we didn’t. My bio-rhythms will be all out of synch for at least 6 months.

Anyway if you notice during the early stages of the month that there are an inordinate number of gentlemen sporting whiskers below their nostrils which blossom into fully thatched 1970s upper lips by the end of the month there is no need to be alarmed. We are not going back to the Winter of Discontent [I think?], it’s Movember and gents are growing moustaches in aid of the Prostate Cancer charity.

On to local stuff, of which there is not much.

On Friday 5th it’s Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night. Please everybody be extra careful and be mindful of the Hedgehogs. Some of those fireworks could be classed as bombs and are really not designed for back gardens so if you like fireworks why not go to an organised display. There are usually plenty of them. I know the Wanstead Rugby Club will be doing their usual but haven’t got the details yet. When I do, they will be posted over here. Details now on link.

On the following day Saturday 6th Guide Dogs for the Blind are having their Christmas bash up at Woodford Bridge. Sponsored walking over 800 degree coals – ouch! Details. More here. And here.

Thursday 11th and it’s Remembrance day at Fairlop Waters organised by the Fairlop Heritage Group – details.

The following week is our own Coffee Morning when we have Jan Scott from Victim Support as our guest speaker. We have had our own Comprehensive Spending Review and contrary to reports that we will be following the government example of Aircraft Carriers without Aircraft to have Coffee Mornings without coffee, we can assure everybody that we have ringfenced our coffee and beer budgets.

On Wednesday 24th we see the return of Area Committee 3. Minutes of previous meeting are published here and the agenda will be published here 5 working days before the meeting. Please note new venue.

I said there wasn’t much didn’t I.

All = Nothing

“I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now!” So sang Freddie Mercury in 1989.

The North American Indian didn’t think like that. They took only what they needed and left the Buffalo herd intact so it would come back again next year. That’s sustainability - not killing the goose that lays the golden egg. The white hunter put paid to the Buffalo, he wanted it all, he got it and ended up with nothing, for the Buffalo didn’t come back.

This lonely rock that we call home is in fact a spaceship travelling through space at approximately 66,000 miles per hour, around a Fusion Nuclear Reactor that we call the Sun. It has an inbuilt life support system, which is the equivalent of that golden egg laid by the goose.

That goose is looking a weeny bit fragile of late. The “white hunter” has moved on and is now taking the piss big time. Not only that he is having a laugh by messing with our minds. Well, perhaps not all of us.

The fact is that Bio-Diversity is the lynch pin of our life support system. So how come people think that Bio-Diversity is a Washing Powder FFS? [Hat tip Glenn] Is it cognitive dissonence, lack of education or is it that these days reality is filtered through a pixelated lens dominated by advertising, shopping channels and Mordoch’s media?

“It’s not much I’m asking if you want the truth, here’s to the future, hear the cry of youth” So sang Freddie Mercury in 1989.

What future?

"Man did not weave the web of life
- he is merely a strand in it.
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself."
Chief Seattle, 1854.

As reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have made clear, one of the malign impacts of a warmer world will be the accelerated extinction of plant and animal species. So the timing of the next fortnight's United Nations biodiversity convention in Japan – and the spotlight it will throw on the destruction of a swath of natural life [that includes us - Ed] on the planet – has to be welcome.
Whether the summit will achieve anything more substantial, however, is doubtful.
- The Independent.

Unless there’s some serendipitous facet of Ecology that we don’t yet understand? Doubtful!

Of course there’s no chance that our government will do the sensible thing and appoint a Minster for Green Economics – someone who will look after “natural capital”.

They are too intent on selling it off to private companies.

Just look at this pathetic 4 question survey from the recently decimated Defra and my own responses to it.
And the London Wildlife Trust has a page of comments too.

Who are the Benefit Cheats?

Let’s be honest now, none of us actually like paying tax do we? Some of us don’t mind [much?] and are quite happy to contribute in return for security and services not just for ourselves but for those who need them. But we don’t like it, probably because for the most part we don’t have any choice. Income tax is taken from our pay/pension before we even see it. We pay VAT over the counter. We pay countless other stealth taxes and duties on Insurance, Travel, Booze, tobacco and fuel etc. whether we are rich or poor.

So when we become entitled to a Benefit we don’t need, we claim it - don’t we? Regardless of whether, as some reports suggest, there are thousands of other people who do need it but who don’t claim.

We also take advantage of tax avoidance. Not evasion, that’s illegal, avoidance, which is legal. We will perhaps have Tax free savings accounts. We might put our savings into our non-taxpaying partner’s name to get interest gross, not that you would get much these days. Some may even have put their shares into their non-taxpaying partners name and claimed the tax back at the end of the year. That’s one little tax loophole scam scheme that was closed some time back by you know who. And if you own a property in joint names, you will be looking at avoiding Inheritance Tax, particularly if you live in the South East where it is not difficult for a standard semi to fetch nigh on half a million. And then there’s the booze cruise.

So, when 38 Degrees target Tax dodgers like George Osborne and two of his cabinet colleagues what are they actually saying?

Today Osborne says “we’re all in this together”. But on Monday, Channel 4 revealed that along with two other Cabinet ministers he’s avoiding paying tax. They aren’t breaking the law. But they are paying accountants to help them find loopholes. These kind of tax dodges cost the rest of us billions ….

It seems like some politicians think it’s fine for rich people to avoid tax. They do it and so do their friends. How can we trust them to be doing all they can to close tax loopholes when they’re using the loopholes themselves?

It’s not just George Osborne and his Cabinet colleagues who’ve been avoiding paying tax. Other government figures are doing it too. Lord Ashcroft saved millions through being a non-dom. Sir Philip Green gives the government advice on saving money -- he saves millions in tax himself because his wife “lives in Monaco”.

We’re about to create a stir with our spoof “benefit cheat” ads targeting tax cheats instead.

Well, what I think they are saying is that George Osborne, and his predecessors, have or had the opportunity to close some of these tax dodges loopholes, but have not done so. The implication is that the failure to act is out of self interest [some of these people are major donors to political parties] and that government are not really in charge.

It’s the low hanging fruit [easy targets] that get picked first.

Cameron declares war on welfare fraudsters who cost us billions – Mail Online

But read the small print:

An astonishing £1.6billion a year is lost in administrative mistakes, while a further £2.1billion is wrongly paid out as a result of inadvertent errors by claimants.

While the amount of uncollected tax is ......£42 billion.

What is a Benefit?

2. Finance: Desirable and measurable outcome or result from an action, investment, project, resource, or technology.

Discuss.

Island Nation

Sunday 17th October 2010 - The mail reports.

Two new Aircraft Carriers but no Aircraft.

Thursday 21st October 2010 - Suitably Despairing quotes the BBC.

Four Costguard Tugs to be Scrapped in 2011 saving £32million over 4 years.

Friday 22nd October 2010 - Vowles the Green Quotes the BBC.

Tug used to free grounded £1billion Nuclear Submarine.

Who writes this script?


Thank heavens they're not in charge of the breweries and the pubs!

No, But, Yes, But …

6th October 2003 and it’s on-line webchat time with Eric Pickles MP from the Conservative Party Conference. That’s 2003 let me repeat.

Amanda V Q: "Do you support Ken Livingstone's proposals for new super councils in London?

ERIC PICKLES: No. This would rip the heart out of long established communities in London. The boroughs are the very heart of the capital, they represent real communities in real places. It would be far better if the Mayor concentrated on issues where he has the responsibility rather then these flights of fancy. Violent crime is rising, transport schemes have been cancelled and the pigeons are still in Trafalgar Square. It is time to make way for Steve Norris who will make a difference for London.Thank you to everyone who sent in questions and apologies for anyone who we did not have time to answer.

Roll forward 7 years to 22nd October 2010

Pickles backs plan to merge Tory councils – BBC

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has said three Conservative councils who have agreed in principle to merge all their services are "leading the way". He said others should follow London's Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, and Westminster. The three councils admitted there would be "significant" staff reductions but said they could save up to £100m.

Of course Barkingside 21 got this news yesterday [Thursday 21st] at our Coffee Morning where the Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council, Ian Bond, was our guest speaker. He and the Leader, Keith Prince, had been over in Kensington on Wednesday for a chat to see if they could get any pointers and tips.

Next step: merging the political side? Now won’t that be fun?

King Canute Changes Mind

It wasn’t always like this. It is only in relatively recent times that Homo Sapiens [Humans with Wisdom?] have thought that they could control the forces of nature. Old wisdom like "bending with the breeze or you will break" seems to have taken a back seat. But those olde proverbs keep coming back and smacking us in the face.

The London Assembly have been looking at flood risk, and they are looking at using green spaces and playing fields, mostly in outer boroughs like Redbridge, to help reduce that risk.

Many of the small tributaries buried underground or diverted through concrete channels, like our River Roding was when the M11 was built, are now ageing and the costs of repair or restoration are less cost effective than letting them do what they used to do – flood, in areas where there are no homes or buildings.

London has been relatively lucky so far. We have had floods, here in Redbridge in 2000, but nothing like the severe storms that hit other parts of the country in 2007. With such a storm flooding could occur within minutes with some streets being turned into fast flowing rivers.

As part of the investigation members of the Assembly Environment Committee recently visited two river restoration projects, the River Quaggy at Sutcliffe Park [featured earlier on this blog] in Greenwich and Cornmill Gardens in Lewisham.

Here’s the Chairman of the Environment Committee on the subject.

Why ……..

…. do people do this?

This is on the slip road between Chigwell Road and the Municipal dump, now known as an RRC, a Recycling and Reclamation Centre. But they still take mattresses!

It is but 50 yards from the Centre. If it was fly-tipped from a vehicle the main gates would have been open and the RRC would have accepted it. If the main gates were closed it will have been dragged there by someone on foot. Tut! In fact, Double Tut!

October Back Linx

I have been rather busy on other things for the past week so blogging has taken a back seat. I missed blog action day on Friday which was all about water. As usual I have consumed quite a lot of it, mostly with about 4-5% alcohol – that’s beer in case you didn’t get the connection! Nothing much gets in the way of that.

So, it’s time to say “what Richard said”. He argues that collaberation over scarce water supplies can be a tool for promoting peace in places like the Middle East. And also asks why we use drinking water to flush our loos.

On the subject of peace Bob from Brockley writes extensively on our own problems which mirror those elsewhere but are thankfully at a low level. If we can’t sort out our own problems what chance have we got of sorting anybody else’s?

Changing tack Natalie asks why the UK looks to follow the “failed” American model rather than the European one. We are after all a member of the European Union. On the National Health Service Doctor Richard, a General Practioner, describes the proposed ConDems reforms as “total madness”. He is also a psychiatrist so is qualified to make that diagnosis.

Meanwhile Flesh is Grass writes on fairness, Adrian comments on the “green” Government and “J” speaks up for back office staff and has a rather radical solution.

Moving on to green things Derek treats us to an extract from the Great Green Car Con. A refreshing piece that uses imperial measures like pounds instead of those Euro thingies, which might go some way to explaining Natalie’s earlier question.

Green Left Weekly explain why energy conservation is counter productive and increases energy consumption. It is called the “Jevons Paradox” and they do seem to have a point when Climate Change campaigners put their message up on neon signs in Piccadilly Circus.

Suitably Despairing looks at climate change denial and the British Psychological Society had Professor David Uzzell speaking on that very subject last month. I haven’t had a chance to listen to or read his lecture yet but if anybody does please do leave a comment.

Changing the subject completely, we go back to Natalie writing about “Future Female”. The bit that caught my attention was the comment about women “self selecting out” from running for parliament. The tricky bit is understanding why. Is it a genuine choice, which should be welcomed, or is it a function of some unseen barrier?

Meanwhile a fresh politico writes about his experience as a first time conference goer, not that he is particularly in tune with his own party.

Back here in sunny Barkingside the ex-Chairman of the Barkingside Business Partnership quotes himself from September 2007 and asks “why oh why did we not listen?” [Since taken down but here's the original]. Funny that, I watched The Age of Stupid on Friday evening at the Wanstead Transition meeting…. More on that later, maybe.

And finally a new blog from an old hand.

Here's Steeleye Span.

The Negative Vote

Back in September Total Politcs published their lists of the Top UK Political Blogs as voted for by readers. But one blogger decided to do a poll for the Top 100 Worst UK Political Blogs. I don’t know whether he actually published the results but a quick glance at the comments indicate that the worst blogs are the same ones as the best blogs. I would guess that this is because all the Dale faithfuls will vote for the opposition and vice versa. So it seems that traffic levels are not really that good an indicator of popularity. People may just be dropping by to see what garbage you are pouring out today and have a good laugh.

But there is a much more serious point here, because those voting habits are an indication of how people vote in serious elections, the ones where we elect people into office. It is because of this that we don’t really know how voters would respond to a different voting system other than First Past The Post [FPTP]. Some organisations do employ the Re-Open Nominiations ticket. This effectively means that you can vote for None Of The Above. But the decision to operate this way is taken by the members and NOT exclusively by those who have already been elected to office. In such organisations members have the right to change the rules at an AGM or conference. But the members of the social club known as the UK do not have this mechanism.

The only way we citizens can change the rules is to elect a party to government which is not only willing to change the rules but actually wants to do so.

And so we come to the Liberal Democrats. Ever since I can remember they have been in favour of Proportional Representation. It has been their defining feature, their market niche, their Unique Selling Point. I recall a statement along the lines – “we are the only party who want to gain power in order to give up power”.

And so it came to pass that this week they had their opportunity. An amendment to the Referendum Bill was tabled by Caroline Lucas [Green Party] and seconded by Douglas Carswell (Conservative Party) and Austin Mitchell (Labour Party) to provide us the members people with the opportunity to vote for PR.

Not one Liberal Democrat MP voted for that amendment, not one. Zip.

I have waited a few days and scoured my usual haunts on the LibDem blogosphere and not a mention. Not even a tweet. Plenty of comment elsewhere of course and not very complimentary.

So, the choice we will have is between the status quo of FPTP and the Alternative Vote [AV] system, neither of which are proportional, despite surveys showing it to be what the members want. Of course surveys are not always accurate but there’s only one way to find out, and that is precisely what has been denied us.

If you don't know what AV is, here’s Wikipedia on the various voting systems and how they compare.

Site Makeover

Those readers who access this site via a feed reader [which seems to fluctuate between 40 and 80] will not be aware of the site makeover. But those who pay a visit will see the results of my recent endeavours. In order to take advantage of some of the new features provided by Blogger I have had to upgrade to a new template. As you can see we now have two side bars, one left, one right.

On the left we have the widgets that navigate you around the content of this site and on the right links to external sites.

There are a couple of problems though.

The old template was quite narrow, and because the new page layout is wider, and is a fixed width page, it may not fit on your screen. Which means you will have to scroll back and forth to see the whole width. Grrr!

The other thing is that external links are no longer underlined, which seems to be increasingly the norm these days, and contrary to Accessibility guidelines, Again Grrr! However, if you hover [put your cursor over the link] it changes colour and gives the underline.

I’m not too sure about the colour scheme. I’m trying to go for something easy on the eye with good contrast.

Anyway. What do you think? Comments/feedback please?

Hainault War Memorial - Dedication

We are advised by Councillor Griffin that there will be a dedication on Sunday 31st October at 12 noon. Please advise Cllr Griffin if you are attending. Contact.


Post originally published on 28th September 2010
--------------------
I was advised by Cllr Griffin on Saturday that the Hainault War Memorial is now in situ at the Hainault Community Centre, Manford Way. So I popped along yesterday to take a piccie or two. I could not get a full frontal as the fence was in the way. Here they are.

There is apparently still some work to do to the memorial itself and the base before November 11th, so I would presume there will be a rival service to the one at Fairlop Waters to be organised by the Fairlop Heritage Group.

So, what better opportunity than to repeat the annual Poppy Appeal Appeal from our local slimline Labour veteran John Coombes. He needs volunteers for a couple of hours at a time to rattle collection tins outside supermarkets and the like. The Poppy Appeal for the Royal British Legion runs from October 30th - November 14th, unlike certain other charities they only get two weeks in the year to collect.

But this year comes with a Warning. Last year we had the unpleasant experience of having a number of tins stolen. Some of the tins were recovered and "from evidence of those we found" the lids had been very carefully removed and replaced after the contents were removed. There is a danger that someone might attempt to use these illegally. The SEALS were BLUE last year and this year they are BLACK so if anyone sees tins being used for collecting with BLUE seals please report to the police and John C or John Bowers on 8599 6339 or 8554 5269.

10:10:10:10:10

It is now day 10, of month 10, of year 10, of this millenium and the time is 10 past 10.

This day is deemed by some to be a lucky date. Lots of people have arranged to get married on this day, and so I’m told, some expectant mothers have arranged for cesarean births to ensure their treasures have the right birthday. One local lady is 100 years old today.

Today is also the World Day against the Death Penalty. It is the 8th one and is focussed on the United States, and in particular Texas. Well, it would be wouldn’t it? But they are not exactly alone are they. Maybe it’s because the others use more carbon neutral methods like hanging, beheading and stoning?

Which leads me to the Global Work Party on Climate Change, yes it’s today.

From sumo wrestlers cycling to training in Japan to 10,000 schools planting trees in Croatia and Russia, from a carbon-cutting telethon on national TV in the Netherlands, to hundreds of people in the UK sitting down to low-carbon Sunday lunches, this is going to be a really inspirational day.

But we needn’t worry.

Our Foreign Secretary William Hague [yes him, the former Conservative Party leader] says

“You cannot have food, water, or energy security without climate security.” And
“We need to shift investment urgently from high carbon business as usual to the low carbon economy – this means building an essentially decarbonised global economy by mid century.”

But then we’ve heard it all before haven’t we. The Government drops the £60m port upgrades for giant turbines, but the Nuclear lobby secures clean-up costs in spending review. That’s a tax on the energy you have already used and you and your descendants will be paying it for a long time to come. And it was going to be "too cheap to meter".

Here’s Carl Sagan, one of my favourites from back in the 80s, to remind us of what and where we are. Thanks BGS.

It's the only home we've got - let's look after it.

Crossing to Play

Guest Post from our Fairlop correspondent – Ron Jeffries.

This morning - in brilliant, warm sunshine - I travelled to Fairlop Station, walking to the new Zebra Crossing on Forest Road into Fairlop Waters, thence along the new footpath to the main entrance, and from there along the North side of the lake to the Play Area and the Boulders.

I am so impressed with all that has been done and is being done at Fairlop Waters. The standard of workmanship and the manner in which what has been done is being maintained is a credit to everyone involved.

It is great that the Zebra Crossing is now working. As I took photographs, [more here] the man in charge of the team resurfacing the pathway on Forest Road stopped to talk. The entrance into Fairlop Waters has been well planned and executed - with good signage and pathways. The speed bumps are in place and the fact that the parking on the road is now restricted will help traffic flow.

I met Darren at the Boulders - I think he told me that he is a Centre Manager. He was checking the Boulder site - and picked up a couple of plastic bottles as he walked by. I told him how pleased I am whenever I visit to see that there is no litter - and it is clearly because Darren picks something up if he sees it and also there is a regular daily litter pick.

I met Stephen the Architect at the area where the natural play is being developed [Photos here]. We had a most interesting chat. The natural play area is very exciting and so imaginative. I learned that there have been drainage problems, but these are being resolved, and that the area will be grassed. I understand that it could be open in three weeks or so - but this will depend on whether turf will be laid (in which case it will) or if it is to be grass seeded (which would need eight weeks to establish).

It is so good to see play areas where children are being encouraged to play in the way that I did as a boy - without the Health and Safety fiends breathing down their necks. I guess there may well be the occasional accident - but most children break something at some stage and live to tell the tale.

I chatted to both Darren and Stephen about the history of Fairlop Waters - the airfields and the gravel extraction. Both were amused to know that it was Lord (John) Prescott (then Deputy Prime Minister) who had stopped the London City All Weather Racecourse being built on the site of Fairlop Waters when he overturned the Planning Inspector's decision to allow the planning application to go ahead.

Congratulations to everyone involved in Fairlop Waters. You have done a brilliant job. Now we need to find the cash to rebuild the sailing centre with modern changing facilities and construct a visitors' centre with information about our Country Park.

One final thing. I am so pleased to see that at the main entrance there are no huge boards announcing that this is Fairlop Waters. Those boards were ugly and spoilt the landscaping. There is just a blue sign on a lamp post - great! PLEASE do not waste money on a big sign. Use the money for more things like the Boulders and the Play Area.

I will go back when the play area is fully operational and take more shots. And I will be accompanied by my grandson!

Ron Jeffries

Caring for the Community

Early 1980s. Two married couples living in identical houses in the same street. Both with similar mortgages and both with two children of the same ages who attend the local primary school. Gross earned income for both households is approximately the same, but one household pays £2,000 more in income tax than the other. Why? Because that household only had one earner, only one personal tax allowance and paid the higher tax rate of 40% on part of the income. The other household had two earners each with a personal tax allowance and neither paid the higher rate tax.

This was a period of “Family Friendly” government. I use the word “family” loosely here.

Roll forward 27ish years. That situation still exists. It is a function of successive governments failure to consider implement transferable tax allowances. Let’s face it families are at their most vulnerable economically speaking when they have “home responsibilities” – caring for the young, sick, disabled or elderly. This is a socially responsible thing for families to do and saves the state vast amounts of money. So, why discriminate against such behaviour?

OK. This was partly addressed by Nigel Lawson [if I remember correctly] when he introduced separate taxation for women, or wives as they were known then. A married partner not in employment could claim back the tax paid on dividends [Mr Brown stopped that] and have interest paid on savings gross. That was in the days when you did get interest on savings [Mr Brown stopped that too].

So we come to our shiny new “Family Friendly” coalition government who propose to abolish Child Benefit for those families where one partner earns over £44,000 pa, which is I think where higher rate tax sets in nowadays. So we have the ridiculous scenario where a couple both on £43,000 pa still get Child Benefit, but a couple where one partner chooses to do the Family thing and stay at home for the children, with the other on £44,001+ pa, does not. This of course is in addition to the tax disadvantage already mentioned.

Anyone would think that governments don’t actually want families to behave responsibly. And you might have a point. If you incentivise people out to work and to pay others to do the “home responsibility” thing for you then that’s a double bonus for economic growth and GDP which is how the government's performance is measured by those really in charge.

Except, that assumes there is work employment out there. At the same time this government are putting thousands of people out of work, and most of the burden, so some say, will fall on women and in particular mothers in part-time work. Perhaps this is part of the grand plan because we also see that Nursery places across London are set to be cut too.

Joined up thinking? – I think not!

All a far cry from 2 years ago when the Conservatives called for a £500 per month tax perk [that’s per month] to encourage mothers to stay at home.

Meanwhile Sarah comes up with two theories as to why men get embarrassed when women breastfeed in public. Which explains the graphic at the top of the post and the connection with the main topic.

Telegraph editorial - "The child benefit withdrawal also undermines the Conservative Party's claims to be the party of the family. Stay-at-home mothers are part of the glue that helps hold society together yet this measure will punish them financially for putting the care of their children first. There will also be particular bitterness at the removal of the only benefit that is paid directly to mothers."

Stephen Glover - "Most families on an annual income of £44,000 would not consider themselves remotely rich. They are already paying 40p tax in the pound on income above about £44,000. They await, like everyone else, an increase in the rate of VAT to 20 per cent in January. Higher university tuition fees may be looming. And they now face what amounts to a swingeing new tax on top of everything else."

This is London - Number of nursery places across London could be heavily cut as local authorities start slashing budgets in anticipation of the government's spending review, experts warned today.

Litter Leader

On Saturday 16th October, the Leader of Redbridge Council will be getting his hands dirty. Well, probably not exactly, I expect those grabber sticks to be issued for the Claybury Park Litter Pick and Walk. He’ll be there doing his bit for the environment and community and will also be available to answer all those difficult questions from residents. The Nature Conservation Rangers will also be on hand to tell you about the park itself and answer questions on bugs and bio-matters.

This is the culmination of this year’s Redbridge Make a Difference Week. The packed programme of events can be found on a PDF here. There are two Give and Take events. These are like “Bring and Buy” sales without the money. It’s a form of re-use [by someone else] or recycling. Whatever, if it prevents stuff from being wasted in Landfill, that’s got to be good innit? Uphall rec on the 9th, 12noon – 3pm and at The Bridge, Maybank Road on 16th, 10am – 2pm. For big stuff contact Forest Recycling on 020 8539 3856.

As usual the People’s Front of Barkingside Barkingside 21 is not listed. Our confrontation Coffee Morning with the Deputy Ceasar Leader is to take place the following week on Thursday 21st. But then we are a bunch of revolutionary rebels [35th in the Best Left Wing blogs would you believe?] and we will make that difference when and where we choose. We will not cow tow to the dictates or the imposed calendar of the Roman Redbridge Empire.

We are also not constrained by the limitations of Roman Redbridge Life and hope to have some pictures of Ceasar the Leader in litter picking action.

Open for Business

Picture Credit: Roger

I’ve not exactly been avoiding Gants Hill while all the works have been going on down there. Otherwise I would not have spotted the Planning Notice for the Egg Whisk. There are several specialist shops down there that I use periodically. What I have been doing is to avoid the roundabout and the tube station for travel further afield. Using the 169 into Ilford and either Fairlop or South Woodford Stations.

So, on my way to Fairlop station on Friday I spotted a huge mobile Outside Broadcast van going into the Redbridge Sports Centre. Mrs Blogger, who was going in there too, phoned me up later to report that Boris and Lord Coe were on scene to hand over a wad of Olympic dosh to upgrade the centre for training of visiting Olympians. I then remembered that Boris was due to open Gants Hill that morning so headed for the tube station on my way home. I have a choice of 128, 123 or 179 from Gants Hill.

Now, I don’t know if the levels of traffic are still quite low, but the traffic lights seemed to be doing their job. There were hardly any tailbacks on the approach roads and the flow on the roundabout itself was crisp. Normally when you get on the bus there is an indeterminate wait for a gap in the traffic on the roundabout. How it will be when traffic volumes increase, we shall have to wait and see.

Picture Credit: Mark

Anyway Boris duly turned up for the opening ceremony and it’s all done and dusted, except for the Egg Whisk. Oh, and the long standing stand-off on who cleans the subway. Oh, and the closing of the public toilet at the junction with Clarence Avenue which in the original plan was to be enhanced. Just what we need to attract the visitors back, eh?

After Gants Hill and before arriving at Redbridge Sports Centre Busy Boris went along to Fairlop Waters to see what his our money had been spent on. We do not know, (perhaps Roger can tell us?) if he walked back to the Sports Centre and used the new pedestrian crossing [yes, it’s there and operational, complete with road bumps, railings and a new pavement on the south side of Forest Road] provided by TfL [he is the Chairman, I believe] but we do know that Roger did catch him between a rock and a camera.

Word of Mouth Festival

Ooops! I missed the start of this but it goes on until Thursday 4th November, so lots left in the pipeline to get your interest diodes simmering. I am notified via an email from some bloke by the name of Ron Jeffries who is apparently Just an Essex Lad and will be entertaining visitors at the Keith Axon centre next Friday 8th October.

We have already missed such notable speakers as Matthew Kelly and Peter Snow, but as well as Ron you can look forward to Andy Secombe [Harry’s son], Peter Hennessy, Ian Dowling and Tristram Hunt, plus lots of others I’ve never heard of before and some interesting subjects too. Some of these events have a charge between £2.50 and £5 but Ron is free. They take place in Libraries all over the borough.

More here on Redbridge-i and the brochure [nearly 8Mb PDF. Why? Have they not heard of download limits at Redbridge Council?] is here.