-------------------------------------------------------
Courier
11-07-04 (similar letter sent to KM Extra) All Kent Rail Rover poorly
promoted
Dear Sir,
A few weeks ago "Today" published an article on Medway Council with
South
Eastern Trains three
(consecutive) day rail Rover for all over Kent for £24
(accompanied children £1). For some reason which SET won't
explain too
me why High Brooms Kent, Tunbridge Wells Kent and some other Kent (SET)
stations seem to be excluded from the Rover. Your ticket from a
minor SET Kent station, to a mainline SET station to purchase the rover
is not refundable. Having tried to sort this out with SET
unsuccessfully, I have enough information to expect some
enjoyable outings, which is enhanced by some 2 for one offers.
For more information see:
http://www.maritimeheritagetrail.co.uk/
The offer is available until the end of August, not forgetting to
check last minute engineering.
Faithfully
--------------------------------------------------------------
Courier
11-07-04 Bus Passes and bus information - not printed.
Dear Sir,
A small point to add to Maurice Knights' letter on bus passes, is
that the free bus pass for use by people of 60 and over provides
half price travel after 9 am weekdays, and also at all times at the
weekends and bank holidays. Alternatively for disabled people there are
free passes or companion passes for the disabled person, who can only
travel accompanied. If you you want to travel before
9AM on weekdays there is a charge for the pass your chose.
It would be beneficial if council's would see that not only bus pass
information but also managed public transport
timetables information, once again
at least one bus timetable in Tunbridge Wells seems lacking or has
inaccurate information on the 29 bus goes to Brighton every half hour
Monday to Saturday. I got a timetable from a stagecoach driver and
confirmed this. Rail stations could be agencies for all public
transport, with information on county bus passes.
So even if you don't qualify for a bus pass like me, do consider using
public transport. If you qualify for a bus pass then council's and
government will pick up half the fare for you.
Faithfully
----------------------------------------------------------------
Courier
19-07-04 Follow up to poorly promoted Rail Rover - not printed.
Dear Sir,
Thank you for printing my letter last week, which followed up an
article in the Courier's "Today" magazine. I have purchased and used
the three
(consecutive) day Rail Rover for all over Kent for £24
(accompanied children £1), and very much enjoyed the outings, and
two
for one offers. The frequency bus service between Chatham Station and
the historic dockyard was very handy.
It is now quite easy for someone to turn up at Tonbridge Station and
buy a Rail Rover. But it took a number of people a number enquiries to
find
out that although Tunbridge Wells Station know all about the ticket and
have those tickets, they don't have the bar codes to issue the tickets,
Tonbridge Station have the bar codes and the tickets, but did not know
anything about the promotion, until Tunbridge Wells staff told them.
The ambiguity between Medway Council's understanding that they were
promoting an all Kent Rail Rover, and
South
Eastern Trains' published leaflet that omits some Kent Stations, was
never explained to me by SET. I also don't see why the tickets are not
available from any staffed station,
such as was the case
with the Connex Loyalty card and, the Hastings line 150 year
anniversary ticket previously.
More information is
available:
http://www.maritimeheritagetrail.co.uk/
The Rover is available until the end of August, don't forget to
check last minute engineering. The rail ticket to a mainline SET
station which sells the rover
is not refundable.
Faithfully
--------------------------------------------------
Courier
(edited) & KM Extra (minor edit) 15-08-04 - Preparing for (or to
have) Emergencies
Dear Sir,
I recently received my copy of "Preparing for Emergencies". The website
http://www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk/
recommends you dial 999, but I think it also sensible to insist on
being given a reference number if it is the police service you are
speaking to. This publication being the sequel to "Protect and Survive"
and it's counter "Protest and Survive" of 20 years ago preparing
for or avoiding war. Which was the sequel to the 4 minute warning of
the 60's and the TV documentary filmed in Tonbridge "The War Game".
In Tunbridge Wells a Library Foyer display was banded within a day or
two day of opening and Tunbridge Wells
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament collected
5,000 signatures in the following week to have it's display reinstated,
but instead a manager of the local library was sacked, and TW CND
marched through the town with a coffin representing the death of free
speech.
Civil defence planning, a course tutored by a retired police
man was run in Tunbridge Wells. Although emergency planning was said at
that
time to be intended for planning for any emergency, and knowing who had
a
tractor locally would be useful, the nuclear war and shooting the
looters after was the important lesson it turned out. Although it was
said
that they/we would deal with any emergency at that time, and not wait
until
after the
training was finished, but the lie became plain when we visited the
basement of Springfield
in Maidstone shortly after the very deep snow in North West Kent that
winter.
The
Civil defence old men had been playing boy scouts in their emergency
basement room - Playing Nuclear War emergency and shoot the looters
exercise whilst the snow accumulated outside too a record depth (1986?).
I don't think the retired policeman doing the training liked the part
of the training preparing for after a nuclear war exercise he was
supposed to teach us, and presented with one of the other exercises
instead or got distracted. One
of those distractions was by how, when he as a young
policeman with bicycle, he had had his helmet knocked off at pub
closing
time whilst on his own in a village. Though he was out
numbered an old lady came out of a house and told the drinkers to give
him his helmet back and go
home, which they did. I must say I have seen former infant school
dinner lady Val
Catt, and later to be Councillor, do the same sort of thing with
drinkers
brawling on Christmas eve in the town. Getting back to the civil
defence training - Eventually the trainer's senior came and sat in and
made sure the shooting the looters lecture
took place, not a very nice or practical lesson.
That was followed by the visit of police and emergency central control
in Maidstone where anything could be managed it seemed, followed by the
visit of Springfield I described above where we saw lots obsolete phone
equipment, and white boards with the same nasty lecture notes on it
from the after nuclear war exercise that they had been doing in the
past months.
Given that at the time US was planning a limited (tactical) Nuclear War
in Europe, I think in retrospect there was sense in government
ignoring the snow and preparing for the war, but it was nonsense, and I
am still doubtful about
calling
the
survivors looters and shooting them makes any sense either. So my
question is what are we being prepared for this time around?
Note for the letters editor - (not for publication)
Tunbridge Wells CND booked the Library foyer for a one month
display which came to the top of the waiting list two years later. Two
years latter happened to coincided with the governments civil defence
exercise
"Operation
Hard Rock" and CND's counter to it "Operation Hard Luck". The library
at about that time other displays had included Milk Marketing Board,
Battle of
Britten, English Apples, but probably one of the better presented was
the CND display which had been largely created by local artist Paula
Williams from Wadhurst. The month was cut
short after a day or two, but not really because it was tatty, but more
likely because Sir
Patrick Mayhew our then MP was civil defence minister, and would be
making a speech to Tory Conference at the time. A Library Foyer display
was inevitably going to coincide with something there was a lot of
pro/anti Nuclear War activity at the time.
The full civil defence guidance,
which was a reproduction of something from the 60's. Amongst the many
practical things were the plans for building a men's urinal. This
document was countered a Youth Tunbridge Wells CND publication.
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Courier
22-08-04 Next Prospective Parliamentary
Candidate - Not printed.
Dear Sir,
I wish Alan Bullion or who ever is the Liberal Democrat
Prospective Parliamentary
Candidate for Tunbridge Wells luck. Peoples voting pattern reflects all
sorts of reasoning, next time people could try voting Labour for change
perhaps? Local Conservative
Parliamentary
Candidate's may as well be
the King of Siam (Thailand) and I am but one hair of his head, as far
as usual outcome is concerned, but things can change. In 1956 the
Labour Candidate Len Fagg got within 1,602
votes of winning, although the Labour vote dropped off from
1970
it has been steadily rise again since 1992. I recommend that you vote
for who I
really want,
whatever any
Left publication Alan might have read advises.
When voting for local council's though there are areas like
Southborough, where
if you want some scrutiny of local government, voting Labour is a good
idea. When Lib-Dems ran Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, they missed
some opportunities, like a environmental code of conduct for
local developers**. Even so the brief change of controlling party was
good and many good
things came out of the change. The audit report is another opportunity
for improvement of our week borough council. Next year there is a
chance that
at least one local Kent County Councillor be Labour. Needless to say
there is also a
place for local
press to scrutinise local government more than they do so now.
When the parliamentary election comes, despite the war, I do wish
for a Labour Government not just because Labour have
there act together more, but because Labour MPs have an excellent
record in
scrutinise there own government.
** Note not for publication
In 1996 High Weald Housing Association built 166 houses at Barnetts
Wood. Having done nothing for more than six months they made a
dreadful mistake resulted in the bulldozing of many nesting birds,
chicks and eggs. The fine for doing this could have been considerable,
but
unfortunately European directives were not applied in the UK although
they always were law. Although I was unable to persuade the developers
to defer building during the nesting season soon, or persuade the RSPB
prosecute, after the house were built HWHA offered to sponsor an
environmental code of conduct for
local developers. The condition was that voluntary code applied to all
local developers,
and TWBC would
need to pull it together and ensure that information on record from
organisations like Kent Trust for
Nature was passed on. Unfortunately Councillor David Mills was
unwilling to do that when he was the leader of the one time Lib-Dem
Borough Council.
Faithfully
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Troops should assist in Asia KM Extra 21-01-05 with
photo of 11 year old Mya Howard holding a poster at the Rally in T/W on
18 December.
Dear Sir,
It is unfortunate that Government should have been dragged into a war
and occupation of Iraq. To there credit a large number of MP's voted
against that war unambiguously, and some troops refused to obey orders
to fight in an unlawful war. Troops should be sent to help, if needed
with the Asian disaster or brought home now.
There are various points of view on War and what we should do now. I
believe, that when military forces of occupation pull out the very long
process of healing of Iraq can start. The problem is that any form of
outside military force in Iraq is largely perceived (with good
reasons),
to be doing wrong however well intentioned. The outcome, I am sure will
include Iraqi oil being traded in US dollars, and will continue to be
painfully for the Iraqi's for many years whatever is done. I don't see
any reason to believe that the leaked UN report, prior to the war,
predicting that ultimately 1.26 million deaths due to war and disease
that follows is an underestimate.
If readers are interested Tunbridge Wells Peace Group
<action4peace@tun-wells.co.uk>
will be meeting next at the Toc-H hall
off the High Street, Tunbridge Wells on 7 and 21 January at 7.00pm.
Contact no. 07791 851 697.
Peacefully
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Uniting the two parts
of St. Matts Schools, printed KMExtra 18-03-05,
Dear Sir,
Recently taxi operation have restarted between the two
parts of St. Matthews School, and that is subject of a planning
application. The school suffers from unauthorised parking on it's own
land and during the past decade has taken steps to minimise the effect.
Although no child has been seriously hurt so far, safety is a concern.
When a taxi firm operated between the two parts of the School, that
causes considerable annoyance to the school and neighbours. The
annoyance was greatly reduced following a change of use subsequently.
It is therefore concerning that an application to change back to taxi
firm
operation recently came about.
The transport depot business prior to 1991 operate very quietly, the
operator of that firm retired. Kent County Council nearly bought out
the
transport depot at that time, and the local press ran a story about
this
happening. The deal unfortunately fell through and Starline then bought
the site.
The proprietor of Starline, was helpful in dealing with problems that
arose a decade ago, but the problems were not resolved. The then clerk
to Southborough Town Council Graham Penticost was keen to help local
councillors resolve the problem. Meetings with KCC resulted at one
stage
with the proprietor of Starline finding an alternative site to relocate
to.
It would be handy if the two parts of the school were united.
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Clarification of the
meaning of an advertisement, printed KMExtra 04-03-06
Copy to Marks & Spencer.
Dear Nigel,
Thank you for printing my letter in KM Extra 4 March copy below. Having
looked at the advert in wimpy again I see that the comparison is
between a Marks & Spencer's tuna sandwich, and a Wimpy Lean Berger.
I have also visited M&S on the 5 March and spoken to the food
manager Garry.
Sincerely
Published as a letter with
minor changes 04-03-06
To KM Extra News Paper, Advertising Agency, Wimpy
Dear Sir,
I have been wondering what the meaning of the
advertisement in the window of Wimpy in Tunbridge Wells (Junction of
Grosvenor and Upper Grosvenor). The poster advert shows a Wimpy Burger
with a number of grams of fat (oil) and a Tuna Sandwich with a higher
number grams of fat (oil). The poster suggests there is no choice, but
given that the poster does not mention the good Omega 3 oils in the
tuna fish, or whether the burger contains saturated fat, the advert
does not
say?
I would appreciate it if Wimpy would clarification the meaning of the
advertisement publicly. I am not a health professional, but I have
been advised by my doctor to watch the type of oils and fats I consume.
Sincerely
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Air Quality on the A26, Sent to
the Courier 06-03-05 a much edited version was published 18-03-05
Dear Sir,
As readers will be aware the A26 Southborough to Tunbridge Wells has
been declared an Air Quality Management Area, and air quality is to be
monitored to EU/UK standards. The air quality is concerning and
as I
suffer from so called hay fever severally in the summer when near
vehicle fumes, I am keen for people and local authorities to get on and
do
something about it. The number of vehicle a day on the A26 through
Southborough is about 25,0000 a day and has been
the same for three decades, so presumably the problem has
existed for the same time. The air has been monitored for a decade, but
not to EU or WHO standard methods, so it can not be said that there has
been a problem previously, or whether vehicles have become more
polluting recently?
Part of the solution is to:-
* Create a pinch point north of Southborough (could be a traffic
light), to restrict traffic coming into Southborough
so that vehicles coming in wait until they can move through built up
areas freely. Cars entering Southborough having travel some distance
would produces more
NO2, the pollutant particularly problematic, and ozone, and that the
fewer vehicles taking shorter time to
complete their
journey the less vehicle fumes will be emitted.
* Encourage walking buses to school, and walking. This solution
would mitigate short vehicle journeys which produce high levels of
carcinogenic pollutants such as unburnt hydrocarbons.
* Make public transport (buses and trains) that run parallel between
Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells cheaper, by subsidy, more frequent, and
reliable.
* Longer term; build a freight sidings at Good Station Road, and
Longfield Road to transfer local deliveries to road. The Shell heating
oil depot at North farm Road could start using there freight siding
again.
* Change the local plan to re-designate the industrial estate on the
High Brooms side of the rail line for residential use. Therefore reduce
the need for some heavy vehicle movements to occur through A26, and
High Brooms.
Traffic on the A26 is capacity limited, for each car
that
could be persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it.
Therefore building roads won't solve any problems. Although most of the
traffic is coming into Tunbridge Wells not going through, the
restoration the
rail link T/W to Brighton would be helpful and would also provide an
alternative route to
London via Eridge.
The widening and
speeding up of traffic on the A21 at Castle Hill will
not help
as this route into Tunbridge Wells is congested. In
any
case it is selfish to attempt impose similar problems on Sherwood, High
Brooms,
and Pembury Road. In any case the section of A21 at
Castle Hill is noted in the Access to
Hastings multi-modal study for its low fatality rate, and safety on
that section of road is the
primary concern of the public. An
outer orbital motorway route
connecting the A21 to the A26 South of Tunbridge Wells is unlikely to
be built quickly or at all.
Many people are talk about building a bypass across Southborough Common
to Langton, this would spoil a lovely local amenity. Instead I would
like to see temporary fences and cattle grazing Southborough Common. I
acknowledge that the house building that would come with such a
scheme is needed.
Other measures widely discussed are to remove the traffic lights at Yew
Tree Road, but I think the lights are beneficial compared to the
problem that existed prior to there installation 25 years ago, even if
when switched off things seem better briefly. The pelican crossing
could be moved to in front of the Victoria Hall, and buttons for
pedestrians added to the traffic lights at Yew Tree, and Speldhurst
Road Junctions. Possibly loading lay-bys in front of the shops in the
same section might also help, but these measures will do nothing for
Southborough without a pinch point north of Southborough.
NOTE not for publication:- You may use this letter as First Person
article.
Faithfully
Reference: My Access to Hastings archive:
home_a2h.htm
http://A2H-FINAL-REPORT.pdf
http://A2H-APPENDICES.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The real number of
deaths due to roads v MRSA from Kent on Sunday Sent 20-04-05, printed
01-05-05
Dear Sir,
Recently The World
Health Organisation (WHO)
warned that air pollution, due to all forms of pollution shortens lives
in Europe by up to ten months
and costs billions of Euros every year. So the advertisement printed in
KOS last Sunday on 5,000 deaths due to hospital MRSA, and the
conservative campaign comparing deaths due to road
transportation seems very misleading..In January 1998 New Scientist
reported that
up to 24,000 people die annually due to vehicle emissions according to
the government statistics (office of national statistics), this is
considerably more than have been dyeing of hospital MRSA. This figure
is in addition to fatalities on the road, and 5
million children suffer respiratory illness due to road pollution.
When USA introduced the 55 MPH
speed
limit, fatalities on the road halved. If engine size were reduced to
match, then
fuel efficiency and air quality would be improved, and therefore you
would expect a substantial reduction in need for hospital care, and
thereby
expect the cases of MRSA to be reduced substantialy as well.
Faithfully
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Would you trust Michael
Howard. Sent to Courier and Radio 4's PM 20-04-05, not printed.
Dear Sir,
Having been talking to people recently on the General Election, my
obvious retort could have been would you trust Michael Howard? I
suggest that no one was deceived by any dossier on the issue of going
to war on Iraq. Surely the relevant question now
is if the president of USA demands our involvement in war on Iran in
June or some time,
do we say no this time. In the end it will be down to MP's
to vote unequivocally no to such a war if they mean no, and Labour MP's
have proven very good at constructively criticising government.
Peacefully
----------------------------------------------------------------
A26 Southborough to Tunbridge
Wells has been declared an Air Quality Management Area,
Sent to KM Extra 08 & 16-05-06 I gave an interview to KM FM on
10-05-06,
then a well edited version of the letter was printed subsequently in
KM Extra 20-05-06.
Dear Sir,
The declaration of the A26 Southborough to Tunbridge
Wells as an Air Quality Management Area, and air quality
is to be monitored to EU/UK standards, is overdue. The World
Health
Organisation (WHO) warned recently that air pollution
shortens lives in Europe by up to ten months and costs billions of
Euros every year. There have been a number of such warnings, for
example in 1998 the office of national statistics reported that up to
24,000 people die annually due to vehicle emissions. The number of
vehicle a day on the A26 through
Southborough
is about 25,0000 a day and has been the same for three decades, so
presumably the problem has existed for the same time. I am keen for
people and local authorities to get on and do something constructive
about it.
Part of the solution could be:-
* Create a pinch point north of Southborough to restrict traffic coming
into Southborough so that vehicles wait until they can move through
built up areas freely.
* Encourage walking buses to school, and walking.
* Make public transport (buses and trains) that run parallel between
Tonbridge to Tunbridge Wells cheaper, and more frequent, and reliable.
* Build freight sidings at Good Station Road, and Longfield Road to
transfer local deliveries to road. The Shell heating oil depot at North
farm Road could start using their freight siding again. The restoration
the rail link T/W to Brighton may be helpful and would also provide an
alternative route to London via Eridge.
* Change the local plan to re-designate the industrial estate on the
High Brooms side of the rail line for residential use. Therefore reduce
the need for some heavy vehicle movements to occur through A26, and
High Brooms.
Traffic on the A26 is capacity limited, for each car that could be
persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it, so
perhaps we should suggest radical things?
Note not for publication
1) I have reworded this letter slightly as was suggested to me.
2) Thanks for passing the original letter to KM-FM who broadcast some
of
my comments last Wednesday.
Faithfully
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The lesson don't
build,
or plan roads it only encourages them. Sent 08-06-05 Published in the
Courier virtually unedited 13-05-03
Dear Sir,
Jan Petrie is correct in her understanding of traffic management. In
about 1990 Cecil Parkinson claimed truthfully the 1980's the Tories,
had the biggest road building programme ever. But by the mid 1990's the
government started to kick many road schemes into the long grass, such
as
the failed Weald and Downland DBFO Scheme (Tonbridge to Hastings, and
then to Eastbourne). Government switched away from using their
computer model COBA (Cost Benefit Analyst) which builds roads for
millionaires to travel faster on, because massive road building leads
to even greater
expectation, congestion, and therefore dissatisfaction.
In the mid 1990's Parliament set up a committee HETRA to
look in to road building and all transportation. This committee's
interim report said in essence that road building did not
necessarily reduce congestion it had to be studied. Ultimately guidance
was published on Multi-modal Studies, and the first study The Access to
Hastings Multi-modal Study was commissioned in 1999. The study which
looked at transport within a triangular area of Sevenoaks M25 along the
A21,
the coast, and Eastbourne, Unfortunately the Study consultants were
unable to persuade the steering group to include the A26 rail corridor
which formed the other side of the triangular area of the study,
although consultation was carried out in St. Johns and Southborough.
The committee took a long time to report,
and the guidance that followed was also late, a land mark lesson was
being learnt, predict and provide has been replaced by traffic
management. My own summary of the lesson is don't build,
or plan roads it only encourages them (meaning people put off changing
the transportation need, by relocating for example, in anticipation of
road building thereby exasperating congestion).
Jan Petrie's assertion
that more traffic will fill any capacity increase created unless other
measures are taken is corroborated by a prediction made by the
Department of Transport. The Department of Transport said at the public
inquiry into the 6 lane A21 at Castle Hill in 1993 that traffic would
increase from 25,000 to 40,000 vehicles a day by 1996 on the A26 if
their road were not built, having said previously that Tonbridge and
Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils have a plan to create a pinch point
just north of Southborough. I don't think they were being entirely
honest, traffic on the A26 is at capacity it can not increase, But for
each car that could
be
persuaded not to travel on that road another would replace it, so
perhaps we should do more than tinker with the problem of the A26 air
quality?
Road
Peacefully
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use of the old
Ridgewaye School Gym by Ridgewaye Football Club, Sent to Courier &
KMExtra ~06-12-05
Dear Sir,
I supported the license application for the sex shop in Southborough,
because the application shows a responsible attitude to the subject. I
also think sex as with most issues should be dealt with openly and not
made a mistery, or necessarily wrong. The teenagers probably are more
interested in other teenagers, and as the news quiz quoted the
pensioners have there walking sticks anyway. In the main people quietly
think what is planned is at least better than a vacant shop, and on the
basis that any publicity is good then keep the discussion going will be
good for business in Southborough. The Town Council could have support
this business more fully by wrapping it up in the Town Centre
Development, and forgotten about it for a while.
Many people don't like seeing the area of derelict land remain that way
in Southborough. At Southborough Town Council last week consideration
of the football pavilion was discussed, it would be good if
the old Ridgewaye School gym, be used for sport by Ridgewaye Football
Club.
It is up to the owner's Kent County Council to set the term it cares to
offer. Readers might recall that the Royal Victoria
Project in Tunbridge Wells was initiated by Kent County Council in the
1960's and then was finally built in the 1990's. Town Council members
commented on the number of plans have come for the
Town Centre that would have been built and finished years ago. I was
disappointed six years ago that the planning application for a little
Sainsbury that could be extended was not supported by the council or
the public who attended the meeting.
Faithfully
--------------------------------------------------------
Recent crashes on A21
(Pembury bypass), edited version published in the Courier 02-02-07
Dear Sir,
I note your reports of recent car crashes with sadness. It is 30 years
since I was involved in a multiple car crash with fatalities on the A21
Tonbridge by-pass south bound carriageway. This multiple car crash just
before the A26 turn off made front page of the Courier and ultimately
resulted in the
central barrier being placed on that section of the dual carriage way.
It makes me uncomfortable when I am a passenger in a
car particularly with people driving too fast or over the speed limit,
ignoring 3 second gap, and complain about speed cameras. I also don't
like seeing people ignore the spirit of the Highway Code by backing
their cars out on to roads, or allow themselves to be distracted.
Since that car crash it has been recognised (as I have written before)
that predict and provide policy for road building does not work whereas
traffic management and study is better. It was disappoint to read of
Councillor Ransleys proposal to clear the highways of parked cars and
delivery vehicles so that more moving vehicles can fill the road and
probably would actually result in stationary in cues of more drivers
getting annoyed
with highway
builders and councillors not doing anything about the problem.
Like everything else you can't just expect a technically fix to come
along or expand
capacity you have to study and manage problems in order to do less harm
or provide a benefit. Similarly a wind
turbine may not be viable in the south east because of the low wind in
this area. You can use wind and solar power most of the time to dry
your clothes with some additional disinfection due to UV in the
sunlight bleaching. This winter has been exceptionally few drying days
and much more wind. My environmental credentials
are poor though due to the air miles I will accumulate going on holiday
to
Guatemala next month. The point once
again like a car journey to recycling banks - does it leave or mitigate
my dirty environmental footprint on the world?
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------_
Printer in Courier, Sent to Courier 19/4/2009
Dear Sir,
The
problem, of tax avoidance and generous tax allowances is endemic and is
the system. It seems to be unfair to pick on MP's expenses alone they
are part of that system. The people who are least blame worthy are
surely those on PAYE or the unemployed who can't even get travelling
expenses for going to a job interview.
I started doing contract
working, away from home, a year ago, as an electronics engineer. The
pay rates are very good and the working atmosphere is relaxed, very
sociable, and very productive in the automotive industry were I am
currently working. I am told this is generally the case with short-term
contract working.
Contract working is encouraged by government
with low taxes that self-employed small business pay due to tax
allowances. There are of cause extra expenses B+B, eating out, and
travelling, these in my case added up to more than pay on the minimum
wage would allow. Although you sort of gain employment rights as if you
were employed, they are not strong you can you can be working one week
and fired the next presumably that's why BMW employ people on contract
because redundancy was cheaper for them. But government also encourage
bigger cars by allowing larger tax allowances for bigger engines cars.
These aspects, don't meet sustainability criteria, and should not be
encouraged.
Perhaps things would be more equitable if we were
all paid a flat or progressive income tax rate but with no allowances,
because in that way the very wealthy would at least pay some tax.
Perhaps we should look at ourselves, I believe that setting an example
is the most persuasive way of bringing about change. Pulling apart a MP
or minister's expenses, which you will always find something, but this
is rarely productive.
----------------------------------------------------------
Cafe BLISS opens, Courier & Southborough Town Council News Letter (sent 29/11/2009)
Dear Sir,
I
am very pleased to see café Bliss open in Southborough on Monday 23rd
November lunch time. It is centrally located opposite the Library for
the Southborough and High Brooms, Elaine Lawrence (key person) told me.
Cakes and bread etc. are locally sourced, and each part of the smart
shop has its own distinct theme. As a former East Ward Town Councillor
I invite electors to visit and join in with this project.
Faithfully
_____________________________________________________________
Printed in the Courier 3/2010 (sent 7/3/2010)
Dear Sir,
I
heard Michael Foot speak against nuclear weapons to a meeting of a few
thousand 30 years ago at the Brighton Dome. He was the best speaker I
have ever heard. Listening to some of archived speeches of Michael in
parliament recently, his language was plain, simple and powerful.
Significantly when Michael Foot spoke in parliament MPs sat quietly
listening until the end, then the raw of laughter went up. Many of
those things in Labour's 1983 election manifesto that Michael Foot
stood on have broader support now.
There is a romantic view that
old style Labour or old style Conservative stood for something, many
still do across all party's. Tunbridge Wells Labour Party Prospective
candidate Garry Heather is probably one of the hardest working the
local party has had, visiting groups, union branches and asking them
for support, canvassing etc. over the past two years. I have also found
our Conservative MP Gregg Clark to be the best we have had. To have at
least two candidates that electors want to support and have to chose
between, is a very good thing. Each party's attitude and priorities
differentiates more than policy.
Engineering, and making things
has never been as valued as making money work, the casino banking that
results in jobs being exporting and free loading off of the rest of the
world. As a job seeking Electronics Engineer, I would like to see this
change, more slack put back in the system so that all who need, are
supported and for companies to have the margin again to employ
youngsters who need experience. For people to talk and debate with each
other and to once again to value well made to last things, that have
not been designed to ware-out or become unfashionable.
Following
the reporting that a Southborough Town Councillor would be resigning
some time back; Can you write letters of resignation from Jail? Is
there going to be a by-election in High Brooms, coinciding with the May
elections? Or is Southborough Town Council waiting till June? That is
do they know something about the General Election date that know one
else knows?
Faithfully
------------------------------------------------------------------
Sent to Courier 25/4/2010
Dear Sir,
I
attended the public meeting where five candidates for the parliamentary
elections answered questions at the Baptist Church, Tunbridge Wells on
Thursday last week. One question that I found interest was "Which issue
would the you vote against a three line whip on?" The answers were
theoretical or the party is right on everything, but Gary Heather for
Labour said he would have voted against war. This answer received much
applause, I am pleased to say having seen so much flag waving only last
year in Tunbridge Wells for war.
Fewer people come to public
meetings and talk about the things they need, consequently what people
say is filtered and shaped by the media, But the internet and social
networking is changing that. Empowerment of ordinary people, and the
understanding of responsibility is a good objective. There are other
signs that things are changing for example there was a good turns out
at public meetings in Rusthall and Ramslye estate recently.
I
hope things continue to change and people once again value well made
things, made to last and kept consequently. Value quality of service
provided rather than just profit made. Ethical relationships rather
than legal agreements with each other. Less free loading off the third
world who make or grow most of the things we use and find themselves in
debt for doing that. The vast size of the military/nuclear industry,
and wars that result consequently.
Faithfully
----------------------------------------------------------------
Consensus not conflict, Courier Letters 25/6/2010 (As sent 20/7/2010)
Dear Sir,
More
than a decade ago the Castle Hill section of A21 was the most studied
road scheme in the South East. The consequence of its approval would
have been further spreading of retail between the Pantiles and North
Farm and along with relocating the Town Hall out of the centre would
make Tunbridge Well indistinctive. There are formerly beautiful towns
all over the country spoilt having been sliced up by roads. Little
fragments of lanes and streets divided in Ringwood, Hampshire and
Gillingham, Dorset for example. Locally politically active people and
councils have resisted this, in the past, but to expect that protective
way in future is unlikely from a council out of the way in Hawkenbury
supported by an indifferent public. The unsightly 80's planning at
North Farm, derelict shops in Ramslye due to impossible lease
conditions, and promised community things in High Brooms that never
occurred will it change?
By comparison in Coventry were I have
worked and found wonderful old medieval buildings some renovated by the
council sadly many boarded up and all surrounded by ugly modern
buildings. This is clearly popular and how people wanted it. New Labour
learnt early about the need to be populist U-turning on ethical foreign
policy and green transport, but I think they left office on more
traditional Labour agenda leaving people wanting more, but from a
different coalition of parties.
People empowerment and
involvement is the way things were going, this is good. As ordinary
people we need to encourage a coalition and consensus rather than
conflict but I am sceptical.
Faithfully
---------------------------------------------------------------
A Party Working together -
printed Tunbridge Wells on Saturday 14/08/2010
Dear Sir,
Your article on the Labour leadership debate (Tunbridge Wells On Sunday
8/8/2010). Having attended one of the hustings in London recently I
have considered that the party is together and the parliamentary party
are constructively criticising government. There is not a strong cases
for the future leadership to be decided yet because all candidates and
non-candidate are working well together speaking to there strengths as
necessary. Similarly the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has a number
of vice chairs who speak from different view points that works.
By comparison it has not been until the past year that Conservative
parliamentary party have somewhat got it together and opposed things
that should be opposed and supported things that they should supported.
On war, Trident and everything else they had been getting it the wrong
way around, I should say that the Lib-Dems also sat on the fence. I
hope that the country is governed considerately without more wars,
sadly war and active service attracts military recruiting and flag
waving jingoism. There are good people across all parties and there is
a positive agenda passed on by Labour for higher standards in those
with power and influence. By comparison John Major left to watch the
cricket whilst his colleague's that he called the bastards carried on
stabbing each other in the back. His legacy Back to Basics was a joke.
We could do without there more ideology based policy, but valuing each
other, quality of service provided, rather than money, litigation and
what works, is the best that can be done. I think the Conservative
party and public expectation has changed
I was unemployed for a year, there were vacancies in Electronics that
remained unfilled then suddenly companies started seriously recruiting
a month after the change of government. It seemed as they were holding
off driving down pay rates. Those who control money, are not
governments, can chose when or if recession will occurs to some extent.
Voting alone or voting for conservative irrespective of the quality of
a particular candidate and his particular party in Southborough is not
democracy. The Alternative Vote seems fairer but politically
involvement is better; Please join;
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TunbridgeWellsLabour/ if you are broadly sympathetic to our objective.
Faithfully
---------------------------------------------------------------
Network Card and poorer customer service shortened version printed based on the lost network card in the Courier 17/12/2010
Dear Sir,
A letter in last weeks
Courier made a point about poor passenger care from rail company's
in connection with a claim. Recently by comparison I had cause to
complain about a Kraft Foods product to Kraft foods and the Co-Op
who replaced and then wrote me a nice letter within five days and
craft foods rote within a month. That was adequate but as with the
letter in the Courier last week I have received unusually,
compared to past experience, poor response to complaints on a
rail issue.
I recently lost my
Network Card and incurred additional expense of the
rail ticket having only discovering the loss at the station. With
the
same network rail card I have also previously, February 2010,
applied for my card be suspended until I need it again. This was
because I was unemployed at the time and the Job centre gave me a
Newdeal Rail card which they renewed and that expired in August
2010. The conditions on the ticket I signed have
changed and I was referred to a website.
Virgin Rail, but not
Virgin Media are poor, BT over poor land line who pass you to
India for complaints and UK for new business.
I am now employed, the New
Deal Card case particularly rail operators are in pocket as a
consequence of my lack of prior knowledge of that card. I have
never been a fare dodging employed or unemployed person. I
make this point because during my year unemployed I found some
cases where the attitude towards me was less fair than on
other occasions, the Newdeal card was one of those.
Neither anyone whether presenting a Job centre
a travel warrant at a rail station or credit worthy citizen's
credit card deserves this poor service from any organisation.
The problem is the companies policy not the employee who have
to carry out that policy.
Yours
faithfully
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