PRE-CHRISTMAS

With a week to go until Christmas Day I have already eaten three turkey lunches and some of the  users of the Cambridge Road Centre will be having one today in the Nags Head Public House on Rake Lane.Other centre users had a lunch there on Monday both days are when the most users attend the centre. 

The (NEW) Nags Head

 

The pub is close to the centre and some users go there to play bingo.The centre recently held an evening bingo session that was attended by pub users and local people numbering around a hundred in all I was told on my final visit to the centre for this year last Friday. 

The day before that visit I was at a businessman’s Lunch with Leah (THE PPC) at the excellent Queens Royal on the sea front There  were many people who I didn’t know but plenty that I recognised from local businesses. 

Pre lunch drink with Leah Fraser and two good people from the top of the hill,or tobe exact St Georges Mount.

 

The food was fine as was the wine all to the background of music and a singer in the setting of a dining room I always enjoy. 

On Saturday I accompanied Leah to New Brighton Primary School for their Christmas Fair . During our visit the school began to fill up with people coming  to see the various stalls selling a variety of festive and non-festive wares. 

Looking down at the visitors

 

I talked to a couple of parents who I knew from their attendance at the New Brighton Sure Start Centre.The highlight of the visit was winning a can of beer,yes just one, that the stall attendant wouldn’t take back and I had wander around the school in a most un-councillor manner hoping that everyone could see the raffle ticket on the top of the can. 

Like all schools the walls display a host of information and what surprised me,this being a primary school, was a project harking back to the last world war. 

Second World War theme

 

Old posters were reproduced like, Dig For Victory, Dont Panic,You Never Know Who,s Listening ect and some old newspapers were there. I think the pupils had to design their own posters and some were very imaginative, with the odd spelling mistake like “Be healthy Milk, Eggs, Meet”. An interesting project. 

My blogger at the bar told me that the builder on the Hotel Vic site was in trouble. 

Hotel Victoria site Albion Street.

 

Lets hope that it’s not terminal trouble because it would seem that all the hard work has been completed bricks are already on site and most of the footings seem ready for bricklaying to commence. 

There was also a full council meeting during this period the most memorable part being pupils from Pensby Primary School singing carols before the meeting in different languages.My favorite was one in Cantonese,it just sounded so right !

OUT & ABOUT

Out and about mainly delivering the local political news-sheet “Newsline” with time also to accompany the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate ( PPC ) Leah Fraser to an Advent Coffee Morning at  St Peter & Pauls Primary School,because of her busy schedule we arrived so early that the hall was still in the process of being set up so I treated the PPC to a mug of tea in the ‘T Junction’ the excellent little cafe at the railway station.

ADVENT COFFEE MORNING

Getting back to the school we found a busy hall filled with plenty of Chrismissy things for sale,did I really need more Christmas Cards ?, and a conversational buzz that was vying with pupils on a stage playing carol music .The PPC headed off to another engagement and I went to the barber and got some of the grey cut off.

The next day ,International Day of Disabled People, I had been invited to visit the Remploy factory in Birkenhead although the site is in fact in Wallasey !!.Having found it on the West Float I arrived just ahead of the Deputy Mayor and his good lady I ended up being shown around with them by the boss Julie Holmes .

CELEBRATORY CAKE

The workshops are housed on a large site that has a upstairs training centre which is where we began our tour.I was unaware of how large Remploy nationally is and locally how many organisations are involved .Wirral Metropolitan College run basic numeracy and literacy courses and later I spoke to two recipients of certificates on the shop floor with a representative from RDI a people development company who’s motto is “learning without bounaries” . The disapointment was that a large iced cake on a table next to where we drank a cup of coffee wasn’t offered.

In the workshop we met school children,from schools like Claremont,  who were packing products as part of a scheme to gain work experience that includes the daily interaction of using a canteen and the banter of work colleagues .

CLAIMING MY CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Remploy have government contracts and some of the protective clothing that is made was on display as the photograph shows along with a lady from the Hamilton Square office of Remploy,the Deputy Mayor and his good lady and me. They wouldn’t let me keep the helmet.

My blogger at the bar tells me that the Somerfield store in Victoria Road, New Brighton is to be re-branded as the CO-OP but the even better intelligence is that its planned to retain it when the Neptune site is up and running.

CHRISTMAS

 

Christmas comes earlier each time around, in October one of my watering holes  started promoting their Christmas lunch with a take away menu and I remember that the children’s menu boasted that the soup would be ‘Heinz’ . There is nothing wrong with ‘Heinz’ but this was the first time I had seen it as a named soup. My first card came in the last week of November !! thats apart from the normal corporate  cards and organisations wanting my donation ,and the result of the Library Inquiry has now been made available to all the borough taxpayers and that gift will be debated in the Council Chamber on the 14th of the month.  

I attended the last meeting of the Merseyside Pension Funds (MPF ), Investment Monitoring Working Party  for the year at Cunard Buildings.We had a number of presentations by external fund managers after having been supplied with detailed papers on the position of the fund as a whole and the individual valuations and performance of funds.  

Cunard Buildings entrance hall.

The position is that the fund having shed 1/2 a billion in the recent financial crisis is practically back to its original state, the markets have been kind to MPF.  

The next day I was off to the races or at least the race course at Aintree for the MPF Annual Employers Conference where all the pension scheme employees representatives,  representing around 130 groups of employers go to get the lowdown on their pension fund.  

In the Princess Royal Suite,Aintree.

Delegates heard six speakers give their  report on the economic outlook, the actuaries update and other thrilling items before being able to ask questions.  

interestingly enough its was very much a Conservative set of meetings with from Wirral,bar the chairman, only this party attending .  

Thursday had me in a church hall as a teller for a local by-election that we retained the seat in and Friday I was in another church hall,this time having a drink at a colleagues birthday bash.  

Finally on these cold winter evenings (having been out canvassing,this isn’t hearsay) wouldnt it be nice to own your own pub, have the fire blazing ,the ale flowing and forget about the weather, well you can if you have £260 000 to spare  

The Travellers Rest

Thats the advertised price for what could be your bit of heaven on Marine Promenade, New Brighton.  Go On , you know you’re worth it.

LAST WEEK

I had an interesting letter from the Overseas Service Pensioners Association an organisation that deals with people who served in the former colonies saying that the Zimbabwe Government may be able to start pension payments in US dollars starting in December. The former military are not treated as former civil servants so my own pay out isn’t certain however since my pensions were stolen over ten years ago,and no back payments are going to be made, I  will do the form filling and wait and see.

I had one evening committee meeting and then with many colleagues was out canvassing during the week . I managed two evening sessions and yesterday delivered addressed envelopes in the wilds of Moreton which was a bit like a corridor in the Town Hall with groups from all the parties who are standing at a by-election on Thursday out and about.

Thursday was a nice day as I got to play with a train set with a bunch of two-year old chums.

EVERSLEY SCHOOL

On Thursday I accompanied  Councillor Leah Fraser to Eversley Nursery School in the Ward. It’s a private venture housed in a former chapel (with its own post box ) at which the old congregation would still meet on Sundays until recently.

There were plenty of happy tots having great fun as Leah and myself spoke to the boss, pictured below on my right, over many areas not least the proposed changes to the voucher scheme ,that most parents rely on for the use of the nursery, being brought in by the Government.

Having a laugh

The nursery has a large garden that in good weather must make a wonderful playground,a nice visit to nice business.

NEWs

A number of meetings this past week starting with a another panel to distribute money to worthy projects in my ‘Area Forum’ area . On Thursday I attended my third meeting with the Meadow Street/Prescott Street Area Residents Association held in the New Brighton Community Centre.

Meeting 'Flyer'

A smaller number of residents  than usual at these meetings watched a short video on home security part of the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme that has recruited a large team from the area, just part of the ongoing effort by the Association to secure and make safe their living space.

The area “is currently being plagued with youths from outside of the area who are partaking in anti-social behaviour” this is from the bobbie on the beat to his area commander in a written request for funding for alley gates in the area from the Merseyside Community Cash Back scheme ; money recovered from criminal activity, and it was successful with this association being given the first grant on Merseyside and we heard that the money had been paid that day.The chairman hoped to have the first gates in place within the next fortnight.

I had sight for the first time of the latest plan,the third I think, for 21 units of housing on the old Mount Primary School site at this meeting and based on the information available the residents present thought it was a good proposal.

With the funding this group has received from the Area Forum they will be able to make their living space a more secure and safer place and as they continue to obtain more grant funding they may achieve their full plan,  an example of those who help themselves can make a difference.

And finally if you havent read your copy of the ‘Wirrale Drinker’ yet the The Telegraph public house has been declared “Pub of the Year” does that mean loyal punters will have a penny off a pint ! on reflection maybe not.

OUT and ABOUT

Despite the sometimes wet weather a large gathering attended the Remembrance Ceremony on New Brightons seafront at the War Memorial.The Councilors from four Wallasey Wards attended and then went on to the Royal British Legion to where the parade marched back.

After the service I was surprised to learn from my ward colleague Cllr Sue Taylor that whilst investigating the best way to expend some money thats been made available to improve the highway and its furniture in the ward she had found that to remove a planter,those large flower beds in the streets behind the amusement arcade, would cost £20,000 (each) so thats not the solution for the residents of those streets with their parking problems.

Off Parade

Councillor Leah Fraser (Liscard Ward) Cllr Dennis Knowles (Seacombe) Mrs Ann Lavin from New Brighton team and Cllr Karen Hayes (Liscard) in the dance hall of the Legion.

Monday there was a full Council meeting at the Town Hall and on Tuesday I went onto the Fort with my fellow Cllr Tony Pritchard to a birthday party that we had been invited to.

Fort Perch Rock

When I entered I managed to have a brief word with the Forts owner who confirmed that English Heritage had been in touch with him and I gathered may be going to assist with maintenence work of the old building.

                                Two  Councillors at the Forts bar.

Thursday night was Bonfire Night and I watched a lot of Moretons noisy fire work display  whilst out canvassing with only three weeks to go to the by-election in the area.

Saturday I accompanied the Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Cllr Leah Fraser to St James Church in New Brighton.

A kneeling Councillor Fraser.

The occasion was a coffee morning in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and it was very well attended. We were lucky to get a seat with a group of ladies who didn’t live too far away and we had a good talk about the surrounding area for an hour or so untill Leah had to head off to another engagement.

THE LAST WEEK

Some weeks ago we lost a councillor who sadly passed away at a young age and this has triggered a by-election. So I was out with a large team canvassing that ward area on Monday evening after having delivered some of my own ward political newspapers.

On Tuesday I was in the Town Hall to determine the distribution of around £48,000 to the people and groups who responded to the Councils ‘You Decide’  initiative where a specified service , improvement  or repair is applied for by the electorate, after all they know what they want in their living space.

Two political wards would,we agreed, split this money between us (and it had to be expended before a time line) which made the meeting more exasperating for me having to argue with a ward ‘colleague’ who was letting prejudices influence decisions instead of residents wishes  but in the end the funds were allocated .All that remains is to see alleygates ,road signs and educational courses materialise .

Wednesday I was back in the Town Hall for a presentation by Peel Holdings who on Merseyside have developement plans,on both sides of the river ,that include 23,000 homes at a total figure £10 Billion, however apart to watch out for some demolition in the area of the water tower on the four Bridges there was little that I wasn’t aware of.

.

Thursday was pretty scary,Councillor Leah Fraser being ‘greeted’ by a member of staff at Cambridge road Centre for the adult disabled.We paid the centre a visit to see the Halloween efforts of staff and centre users,and great fun it was.

you coughing sir?

On Friday the public,school children ect, would be conducted through the ‘crypt’ that had coffins , heads that talked ,bubbling cauldrons and more cobwebs than my hallway.

The Centre Managers back

The above picture has the lovely Mel in the background,looking a bit pasty, who helped assemble all the things that any good crypt has to have,from sources as far apart as E Bay to ASDA

Anyone for Bowls

Back in the real world the PPC had to be dragged away from the virtual bowling game,which she picked up very well, and I found out that you can also play tennis and other ball games on this excellent piece of equiptment.

Plenty of snaps were taken and when I had the camera I noticed a smartly dressed little chap siddle into every  picture, so we decided to make it official and here he is in the middle .I printed all the photographs and delivered them on Friday to the crypt keeper Frankie (out of costume) who would pass them around.This is the fourth year that they have held the event which the users enjoy building and public visits brings in some cash for their welfare fund. 

Sadly as I have mentioned elsewhere the Centres future is not assured and that evening ,again, in the Town Hall, I attended a presentation by Social Services on the direction that they are heading and it seems that the 10 man ruling Cabinet of Council will be making a decision shortly on the centres future.

Not a perfect week but a good one that I had to go and put my foot into,or feet in this case. On Saturday delivering my ward newspaper in Stratton Close I slid around a bush and stepped into a newly laid concrete forecourt.I profferd my humblest apologies to the builder.

CAMBRIDGE ROAD DAY CENTRE & Sure Start.

As I’m on the Advisory Body for this centre for disabled adults I called in with a bit of an answer for a ’service’ user (as attendees are termed) on ‘Personalisation’ which will when it gets up and running include the allocation of money to a service user to buy into the services that they want,respite time, holidays,education ect.

This was last Friday with many activities taking place including virtual Ten Pin Bowling 

Bowling anyone ?

Jason watching a female bowl a ball at this Japanese made wall mounted game. Not only fun but exercise for the wheelchair bound who have to give a mighty swing with their bowling arm to send the ball down the alley.

They also have a computer suite and although not every service user is capable of learning how to operate them there is a group of users who hold the ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence ) and currently are doing paid work for a Council department.

The main players and myself.

The sad news is that the centre is under threat of closure under the Asset Review and at the end of the month the payment of the fee for access to the world-wide web,£ 120 a month, is being stopped by the Social Services Department.

On the photograph I’m stood between  Paul Minney and Carl Leathers service users on the centre management team and on the right are Frankie Collins and Bel Hadfi the centre’s Council managers all of who I have promised that I will be writing to the Council over their problems.

This evening I went to a meeting of the New Brighton Children’s Centre ,Advisory Board held in the main centre in Mount Pleasant Road this time. Plenty of ground was covered in a couple of hours. Also an exciting time for staff with a bill going through Parliament giving  a sense of permanence to the ‘Sure Start’ brand because with a change of Government,despite evidence to the contrary,  some think the incomers will want to alter anything that has no permanence in a Parliamentary instrument. Plenty of colds evident in the gathering including mine,but always good meetings.

OLDERSHAW SCHOOL

Oldershaw School isn’t in my ‘political ward’ but many residents who I represent have children who attend it.On the 9th I was invited to the opening of the new block that houses the Business and Enterprise College.

The New Block

I went on a grand tour with a group being shown around by a member of the lower sixth,who hopes to be among the applicants for head boy,next year.The equipment was  ahead of the pen nib and ink regime and part of a deal with Apple, no you at the back not the orchid the computer company  !!.

My political chair,me,the deputy mayor and his good lady

The potential head boy also explained how the sport’s field had had drainage work done another reason to want your child to attend this excellent school that has seen pupil numbers going from 600 to 8oo and this year has been judged as Wirrals ‘most improved’ school.

I met the Deputy Mayor again today as he opened the Wallasey Amateur Photographic Societies Exhibition in Earlton Library and presented the prizes.

THE EXHIBITION

I took the above photograph with my trusted digital camera,hiding from the Cecil Beatons who were looking at the exhibits,but I was spotted by the chap who had won “Photographer of the Year” and I was surprised to learn that the majority of photographs were the product of digital cameras,with some ‘photoshop’ tinkering I imagine.

Aintree

Yesterday I attended an ECO showcase in the Earl of Derby suite at the racecourse.It was  about energy,efficiency & sustainable developement in the building and construction sectors that my interest lay.

Leaving with a couple of 'take aways'

I sat in on a seminar on Resource Efficiency in Construction which was standing room only.Tough times making a rethink on building site waste,maybe. Examples of new unused material or the same damaged from the elements and going to landfill had those attending the presentation scribbling away..

Going around the exhibitors I came across a Bromborough “Virtual” company through whose website  surplus material or waste on a building site can be advertised or searched for. The site manager  can add surplus materials to the website using his mobile on his rounds as well as a computer. As  the company  “Builder Scrap”  says “save the environment,save costs”.

I left to go a meeting of the Pension Fund investment group in Cunard Buildings and managed to contribute to the final presentation of the session by an external fund manager.