Page 43 - Phonebox Magazine October 2014

Notes from the Chair
Councillor Mike Barry
You’ve all heard the expression “he’s got a face for radio”. Well that certainly applies to me. Every Saturday morning between 8-10 on SecklowSounds (available on the Internet) I host, together with Brian White, Bob Blufield and Alan Mallyon, a show called the Grumpy Old Men. We take a look back at the news that week and make comment! However, my ‘face for radio’ suddenly became a face for TV as I was the only one in the audience interviewed on the Loose Women show on ITV. The topic was Dementia and Care Home Fees. Who should be paying? I am quite concerned about this because my mother was placed in a Care Home by her local GP who said she was not capable of living on her own. However, are the NHS picking up the bill? Of course not. She has had to sell her house in order to pay the bill. I know one can argue that maybe it’s up to us, the children, to look after our parents, but sometimes it is just not practical. However, I did get my say on national television.
Last month my wife and I were invited to attend, along with our MP Mark Lancaster, the official opening of a local taxi office in the Town. Eezycabs, although a local company operated from premises in Milton Keynes, but decided to move into Newport. I bet you didn’t know that they only charge £3 to go anywhere within the boundary of Newport? Hardly worth getting the car out!
Our Horticultural Show this year in the URC Church hall was a huge
success. Cllr Sidebottom and her team worked hard to make the event not only competitive but enjoyable. A new category ‘Water Colours’ proved that we have many budding artists in the Town.
We sadly say goodbye to John Broach who has served the Council for many years. He has decided that he is no longer able to devote the time or energy required to be a councillor and we thank him for his past hard work and dedication. We wish him and his family all the best for the future.
We’d also like to congratulate our Councillor Derek Eastman on his appointment as the new Mayor of Milton Keynes. I don’t know what it is but there must be something about Newport, because we have supplied our share of MK Mayors in the past.
Life as the Mayor is beginning to hot up now with several events to attend, which, hopefully will make for good reading next month. All the best
David Pibworth
informed if I hear anything.
Word on the street has it that Nick Clegg wanted to jump ship to the Tory Party but they rejected his membership, which must be terribly embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as when I tried to get elected onto the Clifton Reynes and Newton Blossmville Parish Council and was rebuffed by the electorate. Oh yes, I know all about being spurned politically.
But all politics is about money and power and not least the Scottish referendum. Many people voted ‘No’ due to wanting to keep free prescriptions and free university fees in Scotland which they may well, ultimately, have lost with Independence, and the ‘No’ lot from England are interested in the Scottish oil, so all this nostalgia about the Union is stuff and nonsense.
All these politicians are like the blind men who are arguing about what an elephant looks like.
One felt the tusk and said “Oh, it’s like a spear” one felt it’s side and said “No, it’s like a wall”, one felt it’s trunk and said “No, no, it’s like a snake”, one felt it’s leg and said “No, no, no, it’s like a tree”, one felt it’s ear and said “No,no,no,no it’s like a fan”, one felt it’s tail and said “No,no,no,no,no,no it’s like a swinging rope”.
Each had his opinion, Exceeding stiff and strong. And each of them were partly right. And all of them were wrong. See you next month.
of times and he’s actually normal. When I say normal I mean that he acts like a normal person and doesn’t really care if he’s seen with a beer and a fag and can tell a good unscripted joke which none of the others can. Or if they can they keep it quiet. They’re too busy walking about trying to look like statesmen which none of them are.
I have a sneaking suspicion that UKIP was only pro the UK as a union as they would have to rename themselves if the UK didn’t exist any longer. With no UK they would just be IP which doesn’t have the same ring about it. But it was as good a reason as any of the others and as for the weeping and wailing that Cameron put on, pretending to have an affinity with the Scots....well I can only say that it was the most appalling bit of acting I’ve ever witnessed. On a par with Tony Blair I’d say.
Politically it’s a very interesting time. It was a truly terrible political mistake to give a referendum because it was good for the public and much as I am sad that it went the wrong way, at least it was the Scottish people who told them and not some quango in a side room in Westminster. So the people, or some of them have spoken and what we have in store is guesswork but I think Alex Salmond will probably end up as the host on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ or possibly ‘Eggheads’ as his head is the right shape. As for Cameron and Miliband, well that all depends on the outcome of the next general election but I’ll keep you
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