Scuttlebutt

Terrible isn't it when you have to rely on scuttlebutt for your information, even more so when nothing is coming to the surface like it usually does at some point or another.  I think I ought to go out more.

Which means I'll have to concentrate on what I do know.  Since the VI is now a done deal the money should flow into the  coffers shortly.  So what next.  Are they going to stuff it into the bank account and just leave it there to fester and  grow (pitifully slowly), give it away (means testing) or build something that might be useful to one and all.  What about this, suggested by a parish councillor many moons ago but still relevant and will always be of use and meet with the original terms of the trust.  Would probably get oodles of grant money to assist in the purchase as well.

Doesn't she look beautiful and very very useful.  Patented by the city of Portland.

Well don't laugh, you get down the street and feel the urge, where the heck do you go?

Demolition Men

Well from what I hear the Victoria Institute will be demolished and a residential building going up in it's place.  Based on what the refurbishment costs were, produced by the trustees, which to me seemed a load of rubbish for the size of the building, this would be the best way forward.  I do hope we don't get some whingers wanting it to look like VI Mark II because that would be a complete disaster.  Well they could always pinch a brick as a souvenir to four years of total stupidity and money down the drain.

Anyway good luck to the purchaser in the project.  With a fair wind we should get a good looking corner at last instead of an absolute eyesore.  I suspect we shall all watch progress with interest.

August should see even more demolition with our railway bridges being replaced at a cost of umpteen millions.  I wonder if Stobarts will fit them into place?  Especially given that the drivers know them well, too well, since they keep coming back and having to turn round when they can't get under, communication skills obviously not in their job description or they just don't talk to each other.

Nothing yet on that parish council meeting.  I suppose I shall have to wait like everyone  else until we get the parish mag to see if there was any blood on the carpet.

What Next

Despite my best efforts I have still not heard anything regarding the last parish council meeting. So don't know whether the male members through the towel in and let the ladies take over or whether we are going to have more of the same for the next four years.  Trouble with some men is they don't know when to fade into the background and play a supporting role.  Anyway I suppose bits will dribble out eventually, they always do.

Moving on.  Now we have sold the VI, what about the money?  Currently it seems we have a lot of 'friends' in charge of this pot and to me that does not seem right since they are not a public body.  They wasted money while they did have a hand on the  tiller prolonging the agony of not selling when they should have done.  What are they going to do with the money once it is in the bank account?  I can see it either festering for years with either nothing done because they can't make their minds up or being spent on something not fit for purpose in a village.  Perhaps they will apply for another grant for a feasibility study.

The right thing to do now is pass the trusteeship back to the parish council where it belonged in the first place, then at least then there is a structure in place locally where if it goes wrong we can show our displeasure at a public meeting instead of at a secret meeting held at someone's home.

Class of 2014

Well Tuesday night should be interesting, the Annual Parish Meeting with the new lineup of members.  The KMAV members have been put firmly in their place with the election of Hazel Brand to the District Council as well as top of the pops in the parish council election.  Gutter politics doesn't belong in a village like Misterton and perhaps the level of interest shown over the last few weeks and the  eventual results indicates what residents really feel about the attack on Hazel Brand.
 
So it should be an interesting night, although I suspect they will be an unrepentant bunch.  Still they want to think themselves lucky that things didn't turn out differently because you know what they say, hell hath no fury etc.  We might have finished up then with another election very shortly.

For a start they might think about a grovelling apology, if only to get themselves out of the mire.  Regrettably that is doubtful, but then it just goes to show what kind of people they really are.

Getting back to the Annual Parish Meeting, I was looking through the agenda and noticed something that was conspicuously missing, the chairman's annual report on what has happened during the year.  Where is it and if not why not.  Surely a few words could have been strung together from someone who is normally very verbose at promoting himself.  That's my description, the description I was given was even more illuminating.

Lets hope there is a good turnout for this meeting, like there used to be at the Annual Meetings under the previous administration when the room was full (and yes I have been so this is not all talk).

Enjoy! 

Sold

Bit slow with this but here it is for all to see.  Not a bad price really considering the work that will need doing on it.

It will be interesting to see what can be made of the old girl with a complete facelift. No other gory details yet but I am sure there are some.

Piggy Banks At The Ready

Well after all that excitement things are a bit  flat.  So what next; well don't forget that decrepit old girl is up for auction tomorrow.  If you have forgotten, well here are the details again.  Guide price is around £25,000 to £30,000 so if you have deep pockets to complete the refurbishment, it will make a nice little bungalow in a centralised location in the village.  No parking of course and no garden, it sits as it stands, but of course you would also gain a tiny army of 'friends'.  All intent in poking their noses into your business.

 

The New Lineup

Well it's all over bar the shouting, and what a lot of shouting from certain parties.  We now have the winners and losers list and it appears that the fillies have the upper hand in our battle for superiority.  Good luck to them.

Unelected were Seymour, both Trossells (thank goodness), Pearce, and Taylor.  Pity Simpson wasn't booted out as well but you can't have everything you want in life.

As you can see a few people can't count and a few others dithered.

The final result of the District Council was a bit of a wipe-out

Not a high turnout but you certainly get the picture.  Well it has been exciting and been of great interest to many.

And We Have A Winner

Well despite all the crude attempts to unseat and libel her, voters have put Hazel Brand back into the District Council.  There is one thing that should be noted, those in the corridors of admin at Bassetlaw will be heaving a sigh of relief that they have not lost  a councillor who does what she is supposed to do and works hard for Misterton.

The gory details of the exact count are not known, although I suppose UKIP will have skewed things slightly like they have done elsewhere, although it seems Bassetlaw voters have given them the heave ho.

As far as the Parish Council elections are concerned, I suppose they will come in the fullness of time.

Election Fever Or Just A Damp Squib

Well it is Election Day tomorrow.  Bearing in mind it might rain, which means a low turnout as some people hate getting wet, it could be a close contest all round.  Still you can get a cup of tea and coffee and a natter when you go, so worth going if just for the gossip and there must be plenty of that around.

Personally I find it a bit sad that some residents resort to these kind of tactics.  You expect it in a General Election, too much to lose, big salaries, expenses and all that, but in a little village election it is just not on. I anticipate some fall out from all this in the near future, which should provide interesting gossip.

In the meantime I hear there is betting on as to who will get the most votes.  Not sure who is running the book or what the odds are but I know who my money would be on.  I'll just have to wait and see whether I'm right.

There is one thing, have you seen any candidates round the village for the District Council Elections, other than Hazel Brand, because I haven't.  They want our vote, they shut get their backsides into the village and if they don't well...........

Libel Committed In The Run Up To The Elections

Well I knew they were a crazy crew but I didn't realise how much and with a distinct lack of oil in the  can our Keep Misterton a Village participants have committed the cardinal sin of not having their missive checked for inaccuracies.  Now I know I wouldn't exactly make Journalist of the Year, or even manage to get a job as one, but I do know that putting stuff in print that isn't true and about somebody, is the stuff that leads you into serious trouble.

I was under the impression that our bunch of chumps had a solicitor in residence, what happened?  Were they so eager to blacken somebody's name and for that matter a previous administration that they didn't care.  As well as libel, election rules were breached.  What about David Pearce, nothing on his application about Keep Misterton a Village, then suddenly his name appears on the list in the missive of incompetence.  Did he know?  That in itself could land him in trouble if somebody made a complaint.  Can we trust these people to run our parish council and spend our money wisely when they make false statements.  For that matter do we really know who they are, because nothing is given about who they are and based on their present presentation they demonstrate a distinct inability to confirm the usual norms of civilised political behaviour.

Why bring up the anon letters when in the past they have denied any discussion to those who received them.  Let's face it when this kind of thing is mentioned, most people are nosy and want to know the lurid details so what do they have to hide?

Well at least now I have the literature for the rest of the candidates, and, exactly like it should be.  A brief resume of who they are, what they do etc.  Certainly with no bile or deception included.  We even have a photograph for all of them except Sandra Farmer and anybody who does not know Sandra has probably only recently moved into the village.  I might add that Sandra tells it like it is, regardless of who she is talking to, so our chumps look like they could be in  for a rocky ride.

To be perfectly truthful I have never known such reckless behaviour from some candidates for the parish council elections.  They ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.  I'm not saying what they should do, but they had better do it quick before they compound their lies.  It don't look good at all for them.

Well since it is only the European and District elections I can't really see a big turnout, although I always say if you don't vote you can't really complain when it goes tits up.   However, I think we all have a vested interest in parish council elections and it is not often, in fact I would say unknown in the past, for 18 people to throw their hat into the ring at once.  So we have a chance to have our say for the first time in many years and decide who is capable, honest and has a moral compass to run our village fairly for all.

Let's face it, we have more chance of getting that by-pass built that's been on the books for 60 odd years than becoming a town, a town that currently has a worst bus service than it had 50 years ago.  Get real folks and don't be deceived.