Scamchester!
(5th March 2003)
Watch out for two different scams which are being perpetrated in
the city. Report Max Jones
One of the scams is the sinister sounding ‘Lebanese Loop’!
Perhaps not quite as dangerous as it sounds, this involves some
villain putting a strip into a cash machine. This invalidates the
machine, so it cannot read the victim’s card.
After the hapless punter has entered their ‘pin’ three
times the machine will swallow the card. The man who has been lurking
behind them, looking at their number retrieves the card shortly
after (it comes out again when the machine realises it is still
not working).
The conman then charges round to the nearest alternative cashpoint
and gets a load of wedge out before heading off to the nearest den
of ill repute. Watch out for people peering over your shoulder when
you withdraw cash would be the fairly obvious advice from the police.
Another trick being used is perhaps a bit more simple.
A lady on holiday from Wales was strolling through the Cathedral
Close when she was approached by two youths between the ages of
12 and 15, wearing the ubiquitous hooded tops.
Asking the lady if she could change a tenner for two fivers, they
gave her two photocopied five pound notes! As soon the lady realised
she had been scammed, she went straight to the police station.
Police are also anxious to speak to an old lady who was prevented
from using a forged twenty pound note in Badger Farm Sainsburys.
She claimed that two people had asked her to swap her two ten pound
notes for their twenty outside the supermarket.
Unfortunately staff did not get a description of the two alleged
con artists. They would like to stress to the lady that if she did
not realise the note was forged then she has not committed a crime.
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Gone Fishing (5th March
2003)
Ever keen for an excuse to wear his country garb, Max Jones went
fishing in Barton Stacey last Thursday.
Appropriately clad in moleskins and a nice fleece, I was all ready
for a days rod action with celebrity fisherman Charles Jardine,
and Simon Kidd, one of the All England Fishing Team.
The venue was Dever Springs Trout Fishery at Barton Stacey. Simon
is off to the Pyrenees in June for the fly fishing world championship.
Lucky him. The idea of the day was to promote ‘Fishing 4 Food.’
This is where Charles and his friend Gary are off around the country
and catching fish. Then, they take their booty and go and cook it
in the local Fullers Pub. For more information
look at www.gone-fishing.com.
Their tour is being sponsored by Selfridges of London and Fullers
the West London brewery responsible for London Pride.
I went along with my girlfriend Clare and her nephew, Thomas. The
first person we met was Charles himself, griddling bacon and sausage
over a bar-b-que. Always a welcome sight, so, tucking into a bacon
buttie, I asked the man what it was all about. “Fish is great,”
said Charles. “I am trying to encourage people to catch and
eat more of it. If you catch a fish then do not waste it. It can
be grilled, fried, raw, whatever. it is good sustainable food, and
it is from this country.”
As someone who has always been anti the idea of fishing for sport,
I found it difficult to find fault with Charles’ argument.
I have always taken exception to is the idea of tempting something
with a ‘tasty morsel,’ lifting it up with a hook in its
mouth by its bodyweight, just for a laugh. Then putting it back
again. I know people say that fish do not feel pain, but I am convinced
that is nonsense myself.
However, to catch them and eat them is OK in my book. To catch them,
eat them, cook them and then serve them to me in really lovely surroundings
washed down with beer is even more OK.
That is what Charles and Gary did. The good people of Fullers were
on hand to slake my thirst with London Pride and Organic Honey Ale,
and the fish risotto that was knocked up at lunchtime was amazing.
On their tour, the duo will be making a variety of fish dishes,
such as blackened cajun trout, their risotto and fish in oatmeal.
Although the food was good, the allure of fishing still eluded me.
Clares’ nephew, Thomas, had a great time though. He helped
to land a couple of fish, and even tried to brain one.
When you have a fish out of the water, you have to hit it with a
thing called a ‘bishop,’ so called because it administers
the last rights to the fish. This resembles a mag light torch, and
the sight of Thomas gently tapping the fishes head was hysterical.
You have to really clump it! Some of the staff at the fishery began
rubbing their hands with glee when they saw Thomas walk in, and
they soon had him doing all their chores for them, feeding the trout,
gutting fish etc. Our intrepid nine year old didn’t mind though.
The fishing collective are putting on a competition, with a variety
of prizes, ranging from £500 in fishing gear to a weekend
away or a cd rom of how to make your own flys!
The questions are: what are the rivers that run through Oxford,
Newbury, Staines and Winchester? What street is Selfridges on? Name
two methods of curing fish. Name the two game fish caught by fly
fishing in the UK. Answers on a post card to Fishing 4 Food prize
draw, 367 Kennington Rd, London SE11 4PT.
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A New Eden (5th March 2003)
Winchester City Council has appointed Simon Eden (42) as its new
Chief Executive. He takes over at the end of May from David Cowan,
who is retiring after more than 22 years as Head of Service.
Mr Eden, who lives at Hyde, Winchester, has been Executive Director
of Development and Sustainability at Southampton City Council for
the past two years, leading a Directorate of over 1,000 staff.
Prior to that he was Assistant Chief Executive at Southampton, managing
the Chief Executive's office and being responsibe for performance
management and service planning.
Married with 2 children, Mr Eden spent 12 years in the Civil Service,
working with government Ministers on a range of programmes in the
Department of the Environment. Before working in Whitehall he spent
eight years as a Biologist at Sheffield and Cambridge Universities.
“I am delighted to be joining Winchester City Council at such
an important time,” said Mr Eden. “The Council has a crucial
role in shaping the vision for the future of all in the district.
I look forward to working with Members, Council staff, organisations
from across the area and, most of all, local people to help in that
task.”
Cllr Sheila Campbell, Leader of the Council, said “I look forward
to working with Simon Eden. He joins us at a busy time and at a
time when local authorities are undergoing major changes. Simon
brings experience from outside local government that we hope will
refresh the ways we do business.”
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Mass Mast Protest in London
(5th March 2003)
Winchester phone mast protesters will be heading for London on Saturday
8 March to take part in a rally organised by Mast Sanity, the national
organisation for mast protest groups.
This comes almost two years after AABAM (Action Against the Byron
Avenue Mast) first took the campaign to Westminster and instigated
the formation of an All Party Working Group on Mobile Telecommunications,
with local MP Mark Oaten as its Vice-Chair.
One year ago campaigners attended a question and answer session
at the House of Commons with the then Planning Minister Lord Falconer.
He was replaced last May by Lord Rooker, who is expected to meet
representatives of Mast Sanity in the near future. Since then the
number of MPs registered with the All Party Group has risen to over
eighty as concern about the health risks associated with phone masts
continues to grow.
During the last two years the high profile Byron Avenue campaign
has received support from other groups in Winchester threatened
by phone masts near homes, schools and hospitals. In the course
of the Public Hearing, due to finish on 14 March, Orange has attempted
to portray the protesters as “irrational.” Reassurances
from telecomm operators and government, however, carry little weight
in the light of recent research, which shows a very real risk, particularly
to children, from phone mast microwave radiation, even when emissions
are below current safety guidelines.
The London rally will give protest groups from all over the country
the opportunity to demonstrate their fears and put further pressure
on the government to introduce much tighter planning controls on
operators. Campaigners will assemble at Speaker’s Corner, Hyde
Park at 12 noon and march to Trafalgar Square.
Contact: Karen Barratt (tel: 01962 864388)
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Carry
On Camping (12th March 2003)
14 families may have to leave their homes after Test Valley Borough
Council received six complaints about them. Report Max Jones
The families have lived in a caravan park off Gardeners Lane, outside
Romsey since October 1999. The residents bought and cleared the
site which was an abandoned pig farm. They were soon told by Test
Valley Borough Council that they could not change the site to a
dwelling.
Thinking that it may have been better if they had been told this
before they bought the place, the fairground workers, all of whom
are from the local area, asked the council where they could move
to.
They were told to try an alternative site at WindWhistle Lane. However,
this planning proposal met with an almighty 120 objections.
Fair enough, they thought, we will stay here and appeal against
the original decision. They are now about to launch their third
appeal, which they have to have in within the next two to three
weeks. If this fails then the council will take ‘necessary
measures’ to move them off.
A spokesman from the group, said “we have spent a lot of money
on this site, but even so, if we had to we would move. But, at the
moment we have nowhere to go.”
This seemingly Catch 22 like situation was something they all thought
would be rectified once they moved to their own land.
Their spokesman was refreshingly candid about what the reason may
be behind the objections.
“For some reason people do not like us,” he said. “So,
we have tried to shield ourselves from the public gaze.” They
have built huge banks between themselves and the road, and a hedge
separates them from the house next door. They have offered to put
up another hedge and even a fence.
“What more can we do without planning permission?” they
said.
Another irony is that, although they are not officially allowed
to live there, they still have to pay council tax and business rates!
It is as though the council really do want to have their cake and
eat it!
The families at the site work on the fairgrounds, running kids rides
and catering vans. They ply their trade locally, such as Southampton
Common, Winchester and the Romsey Show. They are all local to the
area as well, coming from Totton and Netley.
I would venture that very few of the objectors along Gardeners Lane
will be from Hampshire, having moved down to their mansions from
London or Surrey.
I don’t look at the idea of travellers and tinkers through
rose tinted spectacles. There are sites where groups of people park
up on someone else’s land, trash it and skulk off.
Travellers have been known to leave litter, sell drugs and have
raves. However, not everyone who chooses to live in a caravan should
be tarnished with the same brush. To do so would be small mindedness
akin to racism.
I can honestly say that these people are not noisy or untidy at
all. The site is clean and tranquil and every caravan has its own
yard. It is so nearly invisible from the road that me and Pete nearly
drove past it.
To find out why people could possibly object to such a place I phoned
Madeline Winter, head of planning for the Test Valley Council. Her
first words were, “people are prejudiced, and generally speaking
they (the fairground workers) are not welcome.” She then went
on to say that “whatever ones’ opinion may be there are
planning rules that need to be adhered to.”
This is true, and she also pointed out that people cannot just pull
up on any land and make it into houses. It also, apparently, does
not matter how many or few objections there are, if the inspector
says that permission cannot be granted then it can’t. Full
stop.
So, if the fairground workers do not, in the words of Madeline,
“find a more tolerant inspector” (who doesn’t seem
to be living in 1930s Berlin) this time, then they will be sent
off into the yonder. Then where will they go, and what will happen
to the land they leave behind?
Penny to a pound it will be luxury flats within a decade. But, to
the good burghers of Romsey it would seem that is preferable to
anyone who does not conform. What do you think? We are running an
Observer poll, anyone with an opinion on this write or e-mail to
the usual address.
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We, the people... (12th
March 2003)
As the media continue to discuss and dissect the finer points of
the forthcoming war with Iraq, one official voice remains strangely
unheard; the voice of the American majority, the voice of the party
that polled more votes than anyone else in the 2000 Presidential
election - the voice of the Democratic Party.
Sharon Manitta describes herself as ‘part genetic defect, part
political junkie’ and works as a Self-Employed Textile Conservator
based at the Wiltshire County Council Conservation Centre. She also
has another job, and it’s a fairly impressive one, too. She’s
the Press Officer for the Democratic Party Committee Abroad, an
organisation that takes in over thirty countries, holds seats on
the Democratic National Committee and is treated as the ‘51st
State’ by the rest of the main party.
Originally from New York State, Sharon started off her political
career at the age of 12, stuffing envelopes for JFK in the 1960
election. Later, at Drew University in Madison, she had her phone
tapped by Tricky Dicky, a dubious honour but an honour none the
less.
On New Years Eve 1977 she pitched-up in England, armed only with
a frightening knowledge of politics, history, and fashion. She went
to work.
“ It took me about a year to find Democrats Abroad”, said
Sharon, “ and when I finally did it turned out that the chair
lived only four blocks away from me in London!”
Juggling two jobs can be hectic at anytime, but Sharon remains committed
to both her conservation work and the political arena, she claims
to cope by adopting an age old CIA tactic; “ If you’re
being tortured it’s best to distract yourself with another
form of pain, and in a way, that’s what I do. I have no desire
for elected position, but I firmly believe that I have an obligation
to democracy. That I have to put something back. Voting is just
so important, if you don’t vote, how can you complain? And
the less people who do vote, the more unsavoury those elected will
be.”
Mobilising the overseas vote is one of Sharon’s main considerations.
She doesn’t care who you vote for, as long as you do vote,
and to that end encourages any US Citizens living here (whatever
their political leanings) to make contact, and they’ll be pointed
in the right direction.
“ You have to register in each year that you want to vote.
If you registered in 2000 and you want to vote in 2004, then you’ll
have to register again. But it’s a small price to pay.”
The conversation naturally turns to the impending crisis in Iraq.
I wondered how different things would be if it were President Gore
holding down the top job?
“That’s very difficult to say. The general trend of the
Democratic Party is against the war. Trouble is, there are so many
positions an individual can take; should we go it alone? Should
we get a second UN resolution? Are we against war on any account?
Maybe Bush and Blair know something we don’t? It’s a question
that transcends politics, but we are not gung-ho for this war. Whatever
anybody says, Middle America does not wake up every morning wanting
to kill people.”
In the UK and US press, the American anti-war movement has been
almost completely overlooked, but Sharon assures me it’s there.
“There were marches from San Diego to New York, thousands of
people took to the streets, but it just wasn’t reported. It’s
somehow seen as un-American to be anti-war, it’s as if the
McCarthy era has returned; the feeling is that if you don’t
support what Bush is doing you’re being unpatriotic, but Bush
did not win Florida, he shouldn’t be there. What’s happening
in America is driving me nuts, but I love my country and I am a
patriot”.
America, if you needed to be told, is a big place made up of many
different people. In fact, that’s the point of the place. A
nation founded on the huddled mass of immigration that headed West
in search of a better life; a melting pot of cultures, races and
religions who found a collective identity under the stars and stripes.
The American nation is no different than any other nation, we are
not defined by our leaders, we are all individuals. These days it’s
considered somewhat racist to describe the Irish as thick, the Indians
as smelly or the English as stuck-up. But stand up in a room and
say ‘all Americans are obnoxious and arrogant’ and you’ll
probably get away with it. Why? I don’t know, because it’s
as stupid a thing to say as anything else I can think of. And it’s
just plain wrong. Remember, it wasn’t the American people who,
in the months before September 11th 2001, offered the Taliban $43,000,000
to run a oil pipe through Afghanistan - it was Bush’s friends
in the oil business - and, vote for vote, the American people had
him in second.
So, if you ever get tempted to tar all Americans with the same Bush-covered
brush, just stop and think of Sharon Manitta and the millions like
her.
America may have its faults, but who are we to cast the first stone?
By Richard Williams
Democrats Abroad: Tel: 020 7724 9796
www.democratsabroad.org.uk
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Luminescence Makes The
Art Stay Longer (12th March 2003)
Peter Freeman's sculpture Luminous Motion in Winchester Cathedral
Close has proved so popular since it was installed in November last
year that local traders, residents and visitors have asked for it
to stay in the Close for longer than planned.
Originally the sculpture was due to be moved in the late spring
to the railway station forecourt. But due to the sculpture’s
popularity in the Close, project managers at Winchester City Council
asked the Cathedral to consider extending its stay and were delighted
to hear earlier this week from The Dean that Luminous Motion can
stay in the close until June 2004.
Some 1,000 text messages have been exchanged each month between
members of the public and the sculpture, which alters its fibre-optic
light display when it receives a message. Instructions on how to
text are at the base of the sculpture.
Peter Freeman was thrilled to hear about the decision and the obvious
pleasure that this attractive and interesting work is giving to
so many
people. John Gillett, Director of the Winchester Gallery, who has
supported the project and is a Winchester resident himself, commented:
“We always meet someone there, whether people we know or complete
strangers. I don’t think I’ve been to the site since the
installation without falling into conversation with someone. It
has done something magical to that corner of the town, which normally
only comes into its own during daylight hours in the summer and
now has a real night-time life.”
If anyone would like to meet Peter and find out more about Luminous
Motion and his other works, he will be giving two free public talks
on Wednesday March 19th. The first is at 3pm at the Winchester School
of Art in Park Avenue, and the second is at 7.30pm at the Education
Centre at the
Cathedral. If you would like to attend, please call Sharon Armstrong-Williams
on 01962 848537.
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Tory,
Tory, Tory (12th March 2003)
Bernard Jenkin, the Shadow Minister for Defence, was in Winchester
last Thursday. Lucky old Bernard was giving a talk at the Gurkha
Museum to the Winchester Conservative Association. As well as the
auspicious surroundings of the museum, food was to be provided by
the always fantastic Gurkha Chef.
I went along to have a chat with Bernard. After refreshing myself
with a glass of wine served by a Gurkha from Pokhora in Nepal, I
was taken to a room with Bernard and George Hollingbery, the Conservative
prospective parliamentary candidate for Winchester.
I felt like something out of a cross between Yes Minister and Jewel
In The Crown as I sat in a leather bound armchair with Bernard,
discussing the war while a picture of some old Gurkha colonel leered
down at us. As we have been quite ardently anti war at this paper,
I welcomed the chance to speak to someone who would wholeheartedly
support the idea of military action in Iraq. Bernard has just come
back from Kuwait, where he spoke to commandos and the 16th Air Assault
regiment. He believes that we live in a new world since September
11, and that there are three main threats out there.
One is rogue states, one is weapons proliferation and then there
is the terrorist threat.
Iraq, Bernard says, encapsulates all three, is the most rogue state
in the world, and Saddam needs to be toppled. He is in defiance
of 17 U.N resolutions, and owns nerve agents, anthrax and sarun.
I guess he would know, as his previous bosses sold them to Iraq
anyway!
He believes that the world needs to unify and co-operate to get
rid of the Iraqi leader, and if the U.N fails to follow through
then the structure of world security is in danger. He believes it
would send out a terrible signal to other rogue states, most notably
North Korea. This country should be sorted out, says Bernard.
I must say, I am inclined to agree with him to an extent on this
one. North Korea does have a nuclear capacity, the people are starving
and the leader seems to be bonkers.
So, Bernard says “if we show weakness with Saddam then North
Korea will think we are a pushover.” Bernard admitted that
essentially we are a peaceful nation, and that no democracy really
wants war, but sometimes it is necessary. I would question the fact
that we are a democracy if we are going to a war that no one wants
anyway, but hey!
Although his ideas were very thought out and eloquently put, I still
could not agree with him, so we decided to talk about Winchester.
Bernard had been to our fair city once before, when he was Shadow
Transport Secretary. This was to try and ‘stop the Liberals
with their anti car campaign,’ a few years ago. We also decided
not to have the car/environment debate, and Bernard strolled off
to address the 100 or so guests who had turned up, and to enjoy
a nice curry.
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Cold Play Acting (19th
March 2003)
Pupils from Swanmore Technology College devised and performed ‘Three
Cold Plays’ at the Theatre Royal Winchester last week.
The project was the second part of the Theatre Royal’s Xtend
scheme which involves theatre companies working with five local
community groups during 2003.
The Scarlet Theatre Company were performing ‘The Wedding’
by Cuban absurdist Virgilio Pinera. The Swanmore students worked
with Grainne Byrne, Scarlet’s artistic director and translator
Kate Eaton to devise a piece using principles of ‘Theatre of
the Absurd’. The piece was based on short stories by Pinera.
The Swanmore Technology College students performed their work before
‘The Wedding’ on Thursday 13th March.
The first Xtend project involved young people from the Pupil Referral
Unit in Colden Common who joined forces with the Pilot Theatre Company.
Each Xtend project will create a new piece of work to be performed
or exhibited at the Theatre Royal Winchester and will have a direct
link with professional performances at the theatre.
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Is it all over for Tony? (19th March 2003)
Has the Prime Minister wrecked his career with his pro-war stance?
Max Jones went out and asked the people of Mid Hampshire
The country is against the war, the cabinet is against the war,
and the Americans have said they do not care if we join in or not
anyway. Tony Blair is looking increasingly harassed, being hand
clapped off by a group of women who were invited onto the Trevor
McDonald show to question him, and Clare Short turning against him
in public.
For a cabinet minister to slag off the Prime Minister is a virtually
unheard of break with protocol, and an awful lot of others have
signalled that they will resign if Britain goes to war without U.N
backing. After two landslide victories, it seems inconceivable that
Tony Blair could have thrown away his popularity so, but his days
could be numbered. Even history is taking a turn in the mix. The
deadline that Blair and Bush lands on March 17, the ides of March.
Historians will know that this was when Caesar, one of the greatest
statesmen ever, was assasinated by his ‘cabinet.’Will
things come full circle? I took to the streets to find out what
you, the public, think.
Jan Sobolewski thinks that Tony is doing the right thing. Although
approving utterly of war, Jan thinks that there is no way a man
who has killed hundreds of thousands of his own people should be
allowed to survive. “No one wants war, but if we don’t
do anything we will come to regret it,” said Jan. He believes
that the public will come to realise that Blair is doing the best
that he can. Helen Kent did not agree, though. She expressed disappointment
with Tony Blair, shaking her head at the fact she found herself
marching against a Labour Government. “We had such high hopes
for Blair,” she said, “we were so hopeful a few years
ago.” Although on a different tack, Helen couldn’t help
but compliment The Observer. “It is refreshing to have a newspaper
such as The Observer in such a conservative town as Winchester,”
she said. Hurrah.
Steff Royle will be familiar to readers as the fire juggler in the
town centre. Steff made the very pertinent point that politicians
will often start a war when they know they are finished anyway.
Cases in point that he cited were Major with the last Gulf War,
and Thatcher with the Falklands. “It is often their last thrown
of the dice,” said Steff
Lisa Foey thinks that there is just no way Tony can survive this
one, as the people are just not behind him. Fair enough. The Tory
potential parliamentary candidate, George Hollingbery, thinks that
Blair is strong enough to weather this storm. “Although plenty
of the party are against Blair, there are still enough for him to
keep him in power for a while yet. If there is a quick war then
he should have no problems.”
Winchester MP Mark Oaten said “I believe the PM will survive.
Even though the liberal democrats think he is wrong we wouldn’t
wish to turn this into an attack on his political leadership.”
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Tippett-Cooper gets Voted In (19th
March 2003)
Peter Symonds Upper Sixth student John Tippett-Cooper, from Romsey,
has recently been elected onto the UK Youth Parliament as a representative
for young people in Hampshire.
This is a relatively new organisation that aims to give young people
under 18 a voice in British politics. As a Member of the Youth Parliament,
John will operate within local youth councils and communicate directly
with decision makers on a regional and national level.
Commenting on his election, John says ‘I am very excited at
the prospect of representing young people in Hampshire. If you are
under 18, you are not entitled to vote and, effectively, have no
influence on decision makers. As an MYP, I will ensure that young
people are not ignored by politicians.’
Liz Crouch, Head of Student Services at the College says “Peter
Symonds was approached along with many other agencies working with
young people in Hampshire, and encouraged to send a representative
to one of three UK Youth Parliament election events. We were very
keen for the College to be represented as many of our students hold
relevant and well informed views on the current political climate
and citizenship in general. It was a further boost for the College
when John was elected as a member of the Youth Parliament, and all
of his colleagues from the Student Union wish him well for the year
ahead.”
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First Aid Appeal for Alresford (19th
March 2003)
Charity fundraisers have launched an ambitious campaign for the
very latest first aid equipment and are appealing to the Alresford
community for help, as the local Division of St John Ambulance must
raise £22,500 towards the purchase a new £45,000 Crusader
multi purpose vehicle.
The ambulance will not only benefit the whole area as a front line
vehicle, but it can also quickly be converted to a minibus or patient
transport. It has side and rear access doors, kneeling suspension,
ramp, full air conditioning, trauma lighting and satellite navigation
and meets all the latest European standards for ambulances.
At the official launch this week, Val Stone, President of the Alresford
Division of St John Ambulance, welcomed local organisations and
acknowledged that it was a major task that they were undertaking.
“In addition to the acitivities which will be organised through
our own Fund Raising committee, we are asking for local people to
help us by giving donations, raising funds on our behalf, holding
raffles or by giving prizes for our auction.”
“We hope that the local community will now support St John
Ambulance in the same dedicated way that the our members have provided
support and care to the local community since 1987” said Val.
The Alresford Division carries out first aid duties at sporting,
social and cultural events in Alresford and across Hampshire throughout
the year, many requiring an ambulance to be in attendence and, over
the last year, the division has covered some 1566 miles and provided
720 hours of first aid cover.
For further information contact Sue Gentry County PRO on 01962 733893.
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What
a Waste (26th March 2003)
Test Valley Friends of the Earth claim that ‘Test Valley
Borough Council has reached a new low with its composting policy’.
The environmental group says that collections of green household
waste go to landfill. This follows similar revelations last November,
when the council admitted landfilling green waste due to Foot
and Mouth regulations imposed by the government.
Friends of the Earth spokeswoman, Elaine Ewens said “Most
people made the assumption that the council’s new measures,
eliminating kitchen waste from the bins last year would solve
the ‘Foot and Mouth’ problem and composting would resume”.
In a statement on Thursday (20/3/03) Test Valley Borough Council
said that ‘the issues affecting the collection and composting
of green waste are complex. The Animal By Products Order is still
in place, so there are very stringent constraints on material
that can be used for composting. There are also other concerns
and considerations including; Storage and collection of green
waste in wheeled bins. Capacity of composting sites in Hampshire.
The suitability of the soft green waste collected in Test Valley
for composting. The length of time the green waste remains in
bins before collection.’
“The council have duped residents” said Elaine “by
not alerting the public to the situation. This goes beyond simple
negligence. We believe they have a duty to be completely honest,
before they lose tax payers confidence in the council and recycling
as a whole.”
The council say that ‘much has been happening to tackle these
issues during recent months, but the process will not be simple
or quick. Hampshire has been awarded over £5m by the Government
to develop both recycling and composting facilities. It is hoped
that sites can be found and facilities developed to start composting
in 2004. However, planning consent will be needed for these sites
and the process could be lengthy if there are objections.
While this review is completed, Test Valley Borough Council ask
residents to maintain their excellent record of separating dry
recyclable materials and green waste for kerbside collection.
* Take waste to Test Valley’s Household Waste Recycling Centres
in Shepherds Spring Lane in Andover and Bunny Lane in Timsbury.
**Even residents with the smallest of gardens can try home composting.
There is currently an opportunity to buy compost bins at special
offer prices.
For further information please contact Phil Easton, at Test Valley
Borough Council on 01794 527930.
To Join your local Friends of the Earth group call 01794 324750
and speak to Jaysn Phillips.
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War
on want (26th March 2003)
A couple of the army’s elite have been taking time out from
learning the noble art of war to raise some money for a good cause.
By Max Jones
The amusingly named Robin Hood, and the enigmatic ‘Mr Taylor’,
are studying to be officers at Worthy Down army camp. As part
of their course they have to spend a few hours every couple of
weeks learning ‘social liaison.’
Although this may sound like code for going out on the pull, in
their case it actually means volunteering in a children's community
centre in Staple Gardens, Parchment Street, helping children with
learning disabilities.As part of their 12 week course, the two
potential officers decided to raise some money for the ‘SNAPS’
centre.
Snaps stands for Special Needs Activities & Play Schemes.
The children go along there, play pool, learn how to draw, write,
play football and all manner of things.
So, Robin Hood and his merry man decided to take from the rich
and give to the needy. They did a pancake run, they did a raffle,
they did all manner of things both up at Worthy Down and in town,
targeting fellow soldiers, students and the public.
So, I went to see them present a very impressive cheque for £413.35
to the centre. One thing I must mention. Perhaps surprisingly
for a journalist, this was the first cheque presentation I have
been to, but I have of course seen them in other papers and on
the telly.
And, the big cheque is not real!
I had genuinely always thought it was the real thing, and so I
was disappointed to see Robin delve in his pocket for another,
smaller cheque to give to the centre.
Still, I was not as disappointed as Thomas, one of the children
at the centre will be, when he realises that the cheque he went
charging off with is a fake! SNAPS are always looking for volunteers.
If anyone would like to give it a try, then phone 01962 840 676,
or go into the Winchester Centre, St Georges Street, Winchester.
SNAPS is a registered charity, number 1038484.
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Bump’n’Fined
(26th March 2003)
A heavily pregnant Winchester Woman has been fined £60 because
she couldn’t find a parking space in Upper Brook Street.
Mrs. Sharon Brown who is unable to walk very far because of a
pregnancy related pelvic disorder has a resident’s parking
permit for Upper Brook Street.
There were no spaces in Upper Brook Street for the best part of
twelve hours, so the woman had no choice but to buy tickets in
the car park. “I feel I have been put in a near impossible
position by the council” said Sharon “which is raking
in car park fees from city centre residents like myself who have
already paid to have resident’s parking. This fine –
which I could do nothing to avoid without endangering my health
– is a charge too far.”
Winchester City parking Office explained that the correct procedure
would have been to move the car if necessary to Bar End car park,
as St Peter’s was also full, and walk or take the bus back
home. The car park tickets are not transferable so each move (if
it had been physically possible) would have incurred further expense.
The council has;
• Charged Mrs. Brown £15 for a resident’s parking
permit that she can rarely use.
• They have charged her hundreds of pounds throughout the
course of the year to park in the car park when the street bays
are full.
• They have fined her £60 because she couldn’t
find anywhere else to leave her car
• They have taken the £1.20 she had paid for the extra
two hours AND they expected her to pay again to drive to Bar End,
park there and take the bus or walk back to her house. All at
a time when she is signed off sick from work under medical
orders to “rest and relax”.
The constant shortage of spaces does suggest that too many parking
permits have been sold for Upper Brook Street. We phoned the Winchester
City Parking Department to ask how many permits were issued for
Zone ZM which covers Upper Brook Street, St Peters’ Street
and Parchment Street.
Parking Manager Basil Davies and his assistant Scot McBrain were
unavailable for comment but a Winchester City Parking Department
administation assistant said “if you live in the inner city
of Winchester it is difficult but it is fair. We don’t deny
a permit to anyone with proof of residency and car ownership.
Permits don’t actually guarantee you a space. Maybe you should
talk to Winchester City Planning Office because they design the
road layouts.”
“ I understand why parking limitations should apply to shoppers
and I think park and ride is a good option for daytrippers to
Winchester” said Mrs. Brown “ BUT to treat city centre
residents – especially the elderly, the heavily pregnant
and residents with small children – exactly the same as visitors
is actually discriminating against us. I wouldn’t mind so
much if these charges and fines were being put back into facilities
that would make our lives easier. Instead we have seen a rise
in car park charges, we have seen new ticket machines installed
which DON’T GIVE CHANGE and there are the constant threats
of closing city centre car parks which will make our lives even
harder. The council’s own website claims ‘Winchester
City Council provides safe, pleasant and convenient parking in
the District’ What it doesn’t say is: ‘If you’re
a city centre resident, forget it.’”
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Downtown,
Lights’ll be Bright when you’re.. (26th March 2003)
Downtown, everything’s right when you’re Downtown, things
are much better there (?) you can forget all your troubles forget
all your cares. Max Jones with news of the City Centre Redevelopment
Scheme
Winchester is due some dramatic changes. The bottom of town is
set to be totally revamped, with a brand new bus station, a hotel,
new shops, and even a nght club.
The area, which, with all the best will in the world, is slightly
delapidated at the moment, is being groomed to be a jewel in Winchesters’
crown. The planning brief, which is now on public display, aims
to allay any fears that the new development will detract from
the ‘special nature’ of our historic and beautiful city.
A spokesman for the city council said “it will be a major
contribution to the quality and character of the town centre.”
The brief also points out that the development will respect the
historic character of the city, and will comprise of Saxon squares
and streets, attractive frontages, architectural landmarks and
public art.
Although not due to be implemented for a while, the plans are
on view at the City Council offices, in Avalon House, Chesil Street.If
anyone, for any reason of their own would like to purchase a copy
of the plans, they can telephone 01962 848177 / 848293 or they
can look on www.winchester.gov.uk
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