Hat into the ring

wounded hero

All other activity was suspended yesterday as Jenny and I set off to Kilve in Somerset to collect Daisy. After her fall from mountain bike on Monday she managed to go caving on Tuesday, but by yesterday morning she just needed to come home. Jen made a get well card with Daisy's fave stars on it and had bought a bag of chocolate for her. Poor Dz. Much better today after R&R at home, got to see nurse at local surgery tomorrow to have abrasions dressed again.
GCSE results out today, so further discussion in media of how young peole are doing. Boys still not doing so well at this stage. More change to the system worries many people, but I think is needed. Waiting for Tomlinson Report on 14-19 education.
Off to Bath this evening for meeting of Widcombe and South Bath Branch to meet members. In Sept it's Bath East Branch. It's important to meet as many Party members as I can and discuss ideas so that as many as possible can feel part of the whole effort. It's not just about me as PPC, but about the Party in Bath.

adventure sports

The young Ajderians have all been busy doing sports while weather allows. Two eldest canoeing - no casualties yet. Youngest at an adventure sports centre has had a nasty fall mountain biking, but currently insisting she won't come home as wants to go surfing tomorrow! We breed them tough in this family. Hope I can be as hardy when it comes to the rough rides of the political world.
Looks like the Tories would like to unpick Britain's commitment to human rights by claiming that it's the Human Rights Act which gives rise to a culture of compensation claims. Sometimes it may seem that frivolous claims are made, but what of the genuine ones, which we probably don't ever hear about. The press only trumpets controversial (not necessarily frivolous) claims. Britain being a signatory to the Act means people can pursue claims here and not have to travel to Europe. It gives confidence to ordinary people that they can make a case and do literally have the "right" to do so, whatever walk of life they come from.

paulton people and more

As a Bath & N E Somerset councillor I represent Paulton, a large village near Midsomer Norton. This week there's both sad and happy news from there.
On Monday this week I went to the funeral of a Labour Party friend, Ted Milton. Ted was 87, but up until the last few months had been very active in the Party, remaining Chair of the Paulton Branch until January this year, a branch he had been instrumental in revitalising. When I became candidate for Paulton in spring 2003 Ted and his wife Betty were amongst those who welcomed and supported me, their home always open for me to call in to. I'm hugely grateful for the advice and support Ted gave me and truly proud to have known him and called him a friend.

Paulton seems to have a high number of energetic and public spirited residents. Another two of these are Terry and Caroline Wynne, who run the Friends of Paulton Hospital charity shop in the high street. In five years they've raised £100K for Paulton Hospital. Recently, money raised through the shop has enabled the hospital to install a £7000 fibre optic nasendoscope (no, I didn't know what that was either till it was explained!). It's used for detailed examinations of nose and throat. It means that patients can be examined at this local hospital instead of having to go to Bath; more convenient for patients and reducing the load on the RUH. Brilliant.

And as the football season begins again, the local team, Paulton Rovers, go into their first season in the Dr Martens Southern League. The ground has been brought up to the standard needed for that League and the team are ready for the challenge.. I'm not known as a football spectator, but I shall have to keep an eye on this team, I think.

On the Bath front, just had an interesting conversation about the Rec with a resident, which I shall be following up.
Oh, and our garage rebuild at home is about half way through now. Better progress per sq metre than the Spa I suspect!

baby and bathwater

Two articles in Chron today on facing pages which seem to me to have a link. One on cracking down on illegal pedlars in the city and one on a business data specialist's report which puts Bath at 30th in the country in a league of "shopping hotspots", dropping 8 places since last year. Experian's criteria for this league include high and varied number of outlets, large amount of retail space and big department stores. The big stores issue will be helped by the Southgate redevelopment and I hope that this work does really start next year. But Bath is loved by both local shoppers and tourists for the great variety of small, specialist traders in the city. They contribute enormously to the city's individuality and buzz. Genuine pedlars with good quality local goods add to this variety and to the street scene as a whole. Certainly, let's make sure pedlars are trading legally, but let's not throw out the baby with bathwater and seem so draconian that we frighten off the genuine article.

is anyone out there?

Just finished setting up this weblog. It's a work in progress so will change as time moves on. Visitors please bear with me.
Time for bed (said Zebedee)

A level results

good to hear david miliband this morning speaking up for young people and teachers. Why do some people think that if more students get good A level results it can only be because "standards are falling"? Are they afraid that the masses are about to storm into the universities? as miliband said it's just decrying success. the fact is that youngsters are working hard and so too are teachers.