I'm thinking here about our local parish council. I go along every month so that I can report on the proceedings in my monthly e-magazine Hethersett Herald. Apart from reporting duties it is the forum where you can make comments from the floor and also get a grasp on the issues affecting the village.
For a few years I was on the council until I decided that to be able to report openly and independently I couldn't have the constraints that being a councillor placed on me. So I decided not to stand for re-election and it was a good decision. Now I can support the council with my writing but also focus on village issues in an independent way. As the chairman said to me "it was a very good decision by you." She was being complimentary and not cruel.
I use the word independent loosely as, living and working within the village (voluntarily) I am heavily involved in and with many areas of village life and of course that is going to lead to bias. Village development is a good example of this. I am not independent and unbiased. I hate the fact that developers move in, planning permission is granted, the building takes place and the pressure on local services increases, whilst the developers move on to the next money spinner and development which may well be miles away.
Ok it's not that black and white and developers do provide a variety of things for the local communities but we are still left struggling at times and they really aren't in it for the goodness of our health. Obviously being an open and friendly society we want to welcome newcomers to our wonderful village, but we also want to ensure that facilities are in place to cope with influxes.
But back to my initial comment. Last week the village held its annual parish meeting. This is the opportunity for residents to bring up issues of concern and make comments in an open forum. Apart from the parish councillors, there were two members of the public there. One was myself who was reporting on the meeting for Hethersett Herald and the other was a former parish councillor who is now a trustee of the village hall. So technically both of us had a vested interest in the meeting.
I can remember parish meetings when the hall was full. But that was because controversial issues needed to be discussed.
I can also remember an occasion when over 80 members of the public turned up at a parish council meeting to discuss an issue. Those residents felt that the parish council was opposed to their views and some were spoiling for a fight (I can't remember now just what the issue was). When they found that the council was entirely in agreement and supportive of their views they all got up and left, leaving an empty hall once again.
Just occasionally there are one or two residents at a parish council meeting but usually it's myself and one, two or three of our district councillors. That really is a shame as it would be good for the parish council to have some moral support. It's also a very good way as I have said for residents to find out what is happening in the village although I might be partly to blame there as they could say "we don't need to go to the meetings as we can read Steward's blogs or the Hethersett Herald to find out what's going on."
This "lack of support unless there's something that makes me angry" syndrome makes me angry. I have tried over many years to support initiatives and groups I believe in and that, at times, has meant going to a meeting simply to be a presence there and simply as a way of saying "thank you for all you as a group are doing and I am here tonight to support you."
As if to prove my point last night's parish council meeting attracted not a single resident other than myself. There was nothing really controversial on the agenda but it would nice to see more support for the council which does a very good job in the village, albeit with one hand tied behind their backs most of the time and not nearly enough power to make decisions on behalf of residents.
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A few days ago I passed a charity shop in Norwich that had a book for sale in the window. This was entitled "Vladimir Putin - Life Coach". The sub title was "Tips for everyday success inspired by the world's most powerful man."
I thought at first that this was in total bad taste and then I realised that it is a satirical book as the top of the front said: "By the author of The Beautiful Poetry of Donald Trump."
I'm still not sure though whether having a picture of a smiling and relaxed Putin in a shop window is a good idea.