For many months now the council meetings have been held on the Zoom social media platform which has some advantages and some disadvantages. Advantages are not having to go out for the meeting, being able to get a drink during the meeting and being able to hear clearly what is being said. On the negative side wi-fi connections can freeze or go slow and important parts can be missed.
The meetings give an idea of many of the major issues surrounding our village at a time when it is beginning to grow out of all recognition.
I was a parish councillor for a number of years but resigned because I wanted to be able to be independent and report on matters without any of the constraints I would have been under as a councillor.
It gives me the chance to support the council in what it is doing for the village, but also to criticise it when I feel it necessary to do so - like recently when councillors decided to suspend paying for grass cutting in the parish churchyard.
If you want to know what is going on in the village attending a parish council meeting is a good idea although, sadly, often meetings take place with no members of the public present. In fact members of the public only seem to turn up when there is something of interest to them being discussed - maybe something they have a specific view on or something that will affect them.
I remember one situation when I was a councillor and meetings were held in the village hall. There was a controversial matter on the agenda (time has erased just what it was from my memory). Anyway the public turned up thinking the parish council would be opposed to their views. In other words they were prepared for a fight. I knew, however, that we were fully in agreement with their views. I believe 84 turned up. A short while after when we voted to support their complaints, all 84 left, they had no interest in the remainder of the agenda.
I often think how much better life and communities could be if more people saw the bigger picture and were not just interested in matters that affect them personally. But I guess that's just human nature.
Other matters discussed at the latest meeting:
Taking away a barrier on the footpath connecting Richardson Crescent and Great Melton Road.
Too many traffic lights and roadworks in the village.
A new parish council office which is going to be in the Humphrey Back room which is upstairs in the village hall and accessible from its own door in the car park.
A new pizza takeaway service from the village hall car park - meaning pizza services on both Friday and Saturday evenings
A new skatepark idea for Hethersett which is gathering momentum.
and much more. Meanwhile the village archives will be moving from a cupboard in the Humphrey Back Room to the upstairs room accessible from the main hall. This will give the archives more room.
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A number of days ago I started an argument as to whether Cley Next the Sea in North Norfolk was pronounced Clay or Cly. I favoured the latter but a number of people said "it's definitely Clay as that's what the locals call it." Not so. The following is taken from the Clay or Cly Community website:
"Cley Next The Sea is a picturesque village on the North Norfolk coast, situated in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cley (pronounced 'Cly') is just 1 mile east of Blakeney and 4 miles north of Holt, on the main coast road between Wells and Sheringham."
So now we know.