Cycling Tour Comes to Town

Sadly, Colchester is not geared up for this sort of prestige event - and we should be. Colchester worships the car and wo-betide anybody who inconveniences the car driver. Years of political ineptitude have allowed this situation to prevail, rather than decisive action being taken to change things. Our politicians have allowed thousands of new homes to be built without any new roads or park and ride or new car parks being provided. The result is regular gridlock, misery all round - and danger to pedestrian and cyclist alike. We call ourselves a 'Cycling Town'. What a bloody joke! What have we done to make Colchester any safer for cyclists? The ideal location for a 'Park and Ride' at Tollgate has been removed by the granting of planning permission to the land owner who spent many months 'lobbying' his mates in the Town Hall to make himself a great deal of money through change of use of the land. The result is that we still have no park and ride, nor are there any plans for it. We have numerous plans for new housing but none for the essential infrastructure. Balkerne Heights now stands where a huge multi-storey car park should have been built. Profiteering is the reason, yet again. When will our politicians do something for the town rather than to line their own pockets? 'Never', do I hear you say? No, they would rather knife each other in the back. ........and claim their full quota of expenses!

Lottery Bid Failure

I have just learned that our bid for lottery funds to build an interpretation centre for our Roman Circus has failed and have to wonder whether the disinterest shown in it by Colchester Borough Council during a recent planning application could have anything to do with it. After all, our council gleefully rubber stamped the segregation of the starting gates (probably the most interesting part of the whole circus) so that the public could not get at it in future. The pathetic terms for access that were agreed would hardly have demonstrated to the lottery board that we had any interest whatsoever in interpreting our heritage. What a golden opportunity - missed!

Politically Correct Crap

I read an interesting article in the Gazette this week about some geezer from London who came to Colchester to encourage local businesses to register for work for the 2012 Olympics in Stratford. I'll try for some of that, I thought, so I signed onto the website and filled in me details. What could my company do? How big are we? How many employees? Now I am getting a bit wiser with age nowadays and I know you don't get owt for nowt. Slowly it dawned on me that I was being drawn into a PC world of tree hugger paradise. They never ask those sort of questions at the beginning, just like they never put the fruit and veg at the other end of the supermarket. The questions started to veer away from my company's field of expertise. They wanted to know how many women we employed. How many women in managerial positions? Do we have any lesbians or gays or bi-sexuals and various other categories that me mum never told me about. Do we have any atheists, jainists, buddhists, moslems, and various other categories. Do we employ disabled people, old people, young people, etc? Have we got a health and safety policy, an equal opportunities policy, how many millions worth of insurance, etc? I answered as best I could, not really knowing or wishing to know the sexual or religious proclivities of my employees (but having a fair idea) and completed the questionnaire. On clicking the final button to send my application on its way, I was instantly informed that my company did not meet their requirements as we didn't operate an equal opportunities policy (or something like that) - apparently! Well! I have to put my hand up to simply wanting to know whether potential employees can do the ?*&$? job and that their references are up to scratch. This came to me at a similar time to that when I had learned from one of my fellow business colleagues that they had won a contract from a Spanish firm to provide equipment for the Olympics. Said Spanish company clearly had inflated their bid to allow sufficient profit in the job to sub-contract it to a British firm! So, who needs the Olympics anyway?

Living in a Bubble.

I took time off work yesterday to attend a Colchester2020 meeting at the new football stadium at Cuckoo Farm. It was the first time that I had visited and the place is impressive. If only the VAFiasco had run as smoothly in its realisation. So anyway, the great and good of Colchester were there to put Colchester to rights. They entered the bubble at the door and found themselves transformed into a world where anything is possible, money no object. The ideas flowed and kept flowing. I attended a group session that was entitled 'Transport'. The group comprised council employees, borough councillors, a county councillor, public transport lobbyists, car drivers, local authority workers - and a smattering of business owners. The only bloke who made any sense to me was the businessman who commented that traffic congestion and high parking charges are driving people away from Colchester. He was a voice in the wilderness as we listened to various car drivers who complained about traffic jams, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it is they, themselves, who cause the jams. Another moaned about the inconvenience of the traffic associated with school chucking out time. All we need, apparently, is less cars on the road, 4 lanes through North Station Road roundabout, a monorail from Mile End into town, a travelator along High Street. Then the bus users complained about the infrequency and unreliability of buses and the lack of a bus station, again, seemingly oblivious to the fact that buses are provided by private companies who respond to demand. No passengers, no money coming in, no profit, goodbye. I sat there, with a view of the car filled car park, that also had one motorcycle and two bicycles, having been told about Colchester2020's Carbon Emission plans. No. It was too much for me. I don't do 'head in the sand'. Whilst I would have enjoyed lunch at the borough's expense, I felt that my time would be better spent at work, doing something useful. I left the cosy comfort of the feel good bubble and out into the real world headed for the office - on two wheels!

A Night at the Theatre.

My lady and I went to the Mercury Theatre last night to see Blonde Bombshells. This has to be one of the most enjoyable performances that we have seen at the Mercury. The place was packed. We have also enjoyed several other performances there recently: Richard Digence, Brilliant Baroque, Just a Song at Twilight, The Lifesavers, Fascinating Aida, etc. If it is one thing that Colchester does well it is its theatre. Long may they escape the long knives of those who are responsible for bringing so much upset to our town, the destruction of roadside flower beds being just one of the latest instances. Oh well! We have tickets for Tony Benn next week. That should be interesting!

Who's for a pint?

Our attention has been drawn to the fact that we are gradually losing our pubs. Over 20 have gone in Colchester in 20 years and the most recent, the Sun at Lexden, the Robin Hood, the Bell at Old Heath, face an uncertain future. The Sun especially is a very old building and it would be a tragedy if it succumbed to destruction by the inevitable vandals. But is it any surprise when Labour's Nanny State has been instrumental in this decline? The banning of smoking was the final nail in the coffin. Who in their right minds wants to go to a pub where you have to stand out in the cold to have a cigarette. It's not very welcoming is it? You are better off staying at home with beer at a third the price from Sainsbugs where you can smoke as much as you like. And what happened to all those meanspirited whiners who said that they would be more inclined to go to the pub if smoking was banned. I don't know of one. Do you? No. They are all still sitting smugly at home, happy that smokers have been taught a lesson. They are probably quite pleased too that pubs are in decline - all due to their selfish whining about inhaling people's smoke. Funny old world innit?

What a Circus!

It comes as no surprise that Taylor Wimpey, armed with their planning approved Sergeant's Mess and Roman Circus starting gates, they want to sell it on for somebody else to develop. They are clearly strapped for cash, as are many others in the house building industry at the moment, so they will settle for £800,000. How much did they buy the site for I wonder? Something like £80,000 I am led to believe, so it will not be a bad return on their investment. The problem is, they have managed to get Colchester Borough Council to allow them to section off the starting gates so that they can never be turned into a tourist attraction. CBC positively rolled over on their backs and asked for a tickle when the plans came to committee. It bordered on the sycophantic to hear the reverence given to the applicant. It was almost an apology for inconveniencing them. Not one of the planning committee voiced any concern at this sectioning-off of our scheduled ancient monument. Their names? Councillors: Mary Blandon, Peter Chillingworth, Barrie Cook, Mark Cory, Stephen Ford, Wyn Foster, Ray Gamble, Chris Hall, Sonia Lewis. Remember those names in any future heritage matters. History will judge them.

So, has anybody got £800,000 so that we can buy back the remains of the only Roman circus in Britain?

Our Royal Family under attack - again!

I know that it isn't of local interest but it so irritates me when yet another member of the Royal family is attacked by the gutter press for just being themselves. What is a Brit other than slang for British. Am I offended by it? I can understand that a person from India would be offended by being called a Paki or a person from Scotland being called a Paddy. I shall continue to call a welsh mate of mine Dai. I don't know any Chalkys or other of the names that the tree huggers get so anxious about - but I will continue to despise the pea brained idiots who promote what passes today for political correctness. I mention this here because Prince Harry is a serving soldier and Colchester is a military town and I, for one, am proud of our culture, our boys and of our Royal family. What other country affords the freedoms that we enjoy but which are being seriously threatened by these pacifist appeasers?

The New Year of 2009

We go into this new year for Colchester with:

1. The VAF in limbo, an empty, unfinished shell, that nobody (we are led to believe) wants, an embarrassment to us all, with no fixed price to finish it or to demolish it, no name that anybody can be proud of that would make it the promised flagship of the arts in Colchester.

2. No permanent bus station or decision as to where there will be a bus station, if/when the Visual Arts Fiasco gets completed.

3. Not one marker as to the location of the Roman Circus that was discovered in Colchester over 4 years ago.

4. No Colchester Carnival or Festival or any promise of funding for such an event in the future.

5. No Park and Ride or any firm decision as to the location or timescale.

6. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who clearly derive immense pleasure out of knifing their fellow councillors in the back over things done and said but not achieved over the past few years.

7. Lots of political midgets in the Town Hall who have no balls to take the decisions that would make the real changes that are needed in Colchester to make it a place that people really want to visit.

All Must Go!

The press is reporting the fall of Woolworths. People are saying that they used the shop regularly. Clearly not enough of us did; otherwise it wouldn't be closing - or should they have charged more for their products? Either way, it is too late now so there is no point in crying about it.

More to the point, we should be looking to the future. My family did much of their Christmas shopping on the internet this year. Why? Because its easier, cheaper, more convenient, delivery to your door, etc. Who, in their right mind, wants to drive into town (no convenient buses where we live), get delayed in traffic with like minded people, having to queue to park the car, having to pay to park the car, having to put up with the foul-mouthed shrieks of ill mannered children/parents/youths, having to dodge traffic, having to try several shops for the thing that you want because they don't have what you want or the size (I buy underwear for my wife), to carry my purchases back to the car, pay Colchester Borough Council for the pleasure of parking my car (whilst being informed that all risks are mine), getting back into the traffic jams - and then driving home?

Look to the future. Woolies has gone the way that more will follow. Until CBC realises that our shopping experience (yuk PC phrase) is made easy by either Park and Ride or free parking, people will avoid the town unless they have to. We have lost Zavvi now too and things are looking bleak for a few others. Look at how many pubs have closed in the town when you can buy beer in Sainsbugs at a third the price and avoid a punchup by drinking at home.

It is my prediction that, in 10 years time, CBC will have woken up to reality, the town will be a joyful place to visit, for leisure rather than for shopping, parking will be cheap and easy and traffic jams will be a thing of the past.

The big question is, has this council got the balls to get things moving in this direction - or do we need a new thinking council in place?

A Sign of the Times

So our Woolies (Woolworths) is going the way of all the others. Sadly, the writing has been on the wall for many years for certain businesses where their product is either too expensive or is no longer wanted. Why should I travel into town in my car, pay a high price for parking and enjoy the traffic congestion that inevitably comes with a trip into town. Then to dodge even more traffic once in town, put up with their noise and air pollution, the foul mouthed utterings of all ages of people, etc. When what I could simply do is (as so many people are increasingly doing) get onto the internet and do my shopping that way. We hear cries of concern about Woolworths closing or the latest of our pubs that find they can no longer afford to trade. Of course it is sad when shops or pubs close but it is a symptom of the times. People don't want broken biscuits any more. Messrs Sainsbury/Tesco/Asda sell beer at a fraction of the cost of a pint of beer in the pub and Sky telly provides the entertainment at home. Until our borough council wake up to the fact that they are driving people away from the shops by their failure to offer free car parking or a Park and Ride or a traffic free town centre, then things are going to get worse and worse until we are all voting with our feet, staying at home and shopping by the internet. In 20 years time, Colchester will have become a very depressing place, unless something positive is done to reverse the trend. What do you think?

It wasn't me!

The public bloodhounds are homing in on exactly who it was who agreed a contract without an agreed price to build the VAF. We now learn that the price that we thought had been agreed has turned out to be over £7 million more than thought. We are slowly learning too, exactly who wasn't responsible.

Who has to pay this amount? It looks as if you an me will have to pay for it, presumably through yet more cuts in services and sale of assets - such as our school land. All I have to do is put in a low starting price, start the work, get a few stage payments, stop work, and then ask for more money. It's a breeze. All supported by the good old Colchester taxpayer.

What I would like to know is who I should apply to to do work for Colchester Borough Council at a price that I can name at a later date. Presumably, my firm will not have to go through the tendering process, as has clearly been the case with Banana Holdings. Presumably I will have to join some old boys club to get the work - but it will be worth it, if it means I can name my price.

Perfick! Early retirement. Here I come.

Colchester's Heritage Assets

I can't say that I will shed any tears over the fact that Taylor Wimpey have financial difficulties, as I read in last night's Gazette. It is that company who own the land on which our unique Roman circus lies and who have refused to allow us to have full and free access to it. Their concern was profit, pure and simple, to enable future owners of the land to have a nice garden rather to enable visitors to Colchester to see the circus starting gates remains. Our council clearly don't appreciate the archaeological importance of this piece of land, otherwise they would have made a bigger fuss about it. The missed opportunity for tourism is immense. But then, Colchester has long failed to capitalise on its heritage assets. We can only hope now that whoever acquires Taylor Wimpey will have a better regard for the only Roman circus known in Britain and will allow us full unrestricted access to its remains.

Armistice Day

I went in to town today to pay my respects at the war memorial to those that gave their lives for us. There were a lot less people than on Sunday but we had a good turnout. Colchester lost a lot of men, including two 16 year olds, in the first war. Was their sacrifice appreciated by our modern day, money grabbing, dog eat dog, atheistic society that we have today? I think that you could safely conclude that the majority couldn't give a damn!

Call for money to maintain our heritage

All credit is due to Cllr Willetts who has called for funding to protect our heritage monuments in the press today. Sadly, I do not believe that the will is there to promote our heritage, let alone look after what we have. See all the weed growth on our Roman walls that is destroying the ancient masonry. Go take a look at the Balkerne Gate, which I noticed today has yet another chunk of Roman material missing, presumably gone for a souvenir. It is also a travesty that, almost 4 years since the Roman circus was discovered, there are no directions or markers to say where the circus lies. What a missed opportunity!

If ever there was a case for renaming the road that runs along the circus from Le Cateau to Roman Circus Way, this has to be it. A bit of signage, a cut of the grass, a general tidying up of the area, etc. would not be expensive. Whilst Le Cateau Road commemorates an important battle in our proud military history, its relevance now is reduced since the military barracks have been moved away. Surely a renaming would be more relevant and a positive step for encouraging visitors. Will it ever happen? I don't believe that the will is there but I wish Cllr Willetts well with his quest.

The Very Best of Colchester - A Credit to us all!

Together with my family, I attended Colchester's service of remembrance this morning. This marked the 90th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice in 1918. I never fail to be moved by this service, the sight of our old soldiers, the military band, members of the British Legion with their standards, the modern representatives of our armed forces including our Gurkhas, Sea Cadets, the Town Watch, Aldermen, Councillors, MPs, etc. But of special significance for me this year was to see our mayor, Mrs Margaret Fairley-Crowe, doing the job that fell to her following the sad loss of her husband during his term as Mayor of Colchester. I was also pleased to see the new plaque that has been added to our wonderful war memorial to remember those that have lost their lives in the armed conflicts that have followed after 1945. The only downside for me is the continued presence of the traffic lights that completely mar the appearance of the war memorial, as they do all over our town, to cater for the never ending procession of the cars that are a blight on us all.

There were hundreds of people at the service, one of the biggest gatherings that I have seen in all the years that I have been attending. Young and old, all gathered to remember those that gave their lives for us and to help bring peace to the world.

Their names liveth for evermore!

School Land Wanted for Building More Flats

The Tories at Chelmsford need more land to sell off to their mates so that they can build more flats, the slums of the future. What they need to do is to find schools that don't do as well as others, close them down and grab the land. They have earmarked two in Colchester for the chop and have recently renewed their attack on them. Lord Ninnyfield wants the children to go to other schools so that he can lay hand on our assets.

Sadly, this situation is a sign of the times. It's all about making money, rather than providing essential services for the people of Colchester. By measuring school's performances, comparisons can be made with others. It can come as no surprise that a school in a poorer area will not perform as well as a school where the student's parents are more affluent. By closing these schools down and selling off the land for the building of high density, gardenless rabbit hutches, Essex County Council are in breach of their duty to us.

Society needs schools that serve local communities, just as it needs children's play areas, post offices, shops, etc. If a school could do better, then those in power need to make it happen. Profiteering from their removal is corrupt.

Traffic in the Town Centre

I want this council of ours to get up off its backside and do something positive about traffic in our town. I want them to:

1. close the High Street to all non essential traffic from 9.00 am to midnight, including buses and taxis and disabled badge holders, but not cyclists. This will enable the High Street to be developed as a place where pedestrians rule, not selfish car drivers, where the market can regain its rightful location, where cafe type activities can spread out and where live street entertainment/festival activities are possible.

2. to restrict access within the historic core, ie inside the walls, for access only of delivery vehicles, buses, taxis, disabled drivers, residents, etc. If people cannot get off a bus in Head Street or Queen Street and walk into town, then they need a wheelchair, which could be provided as a service also. We don't need a central bus station. Layovers in Head Street and Queen Street are perfectly adequate.

3. to actually provide a Park and Ride service from the Stadium and/or Stane Park. This will be used and the buses will be laid on due to demand. There is no demand at the moment because the car driver believes it is his/her God given right to drive into and clog up our town. Has the council got the balls to do it or are this lot just as bad as the last lot?

Added to this, the totally unnecessary St Botolphs development should be abandoned as irrelevant and - totally unnecessary. We simply do not need it. If people were to use it, it would take shoppers away from the town centre - and what is the point of that then?

(The Stane Park development, between Tollgate and the A12, is a waste of space and would be better put to use as a Park and Ride area. It was a dodgy deal anyway, the old pals getting together from the old regime, to convert farm land into very valuable building land. Nothing new there then! That land is best placed for our much needed Park and Ride.)

My Mission

I shall be making my views known on aspects that concern life in Colchester, especially social, historical and political.

Hello

I created this blog on 1st November 2008