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Monday 31st July: ARTS AT THE HEART OF THE CITY

As Chair of the City Council's MITCHELL MEMORIAL YOUTH THEATRE I had a meeting this morning with Cultural Development Officer, PETER COURTIE. He recently joined the Council and brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the arts.

I have asked him to draw up a list of all relevant Council officers and others with an interest in performing arts with an emphasis on young people ready for the forthcoming round table meeting I have planned. My vision is to encourage more and more young people to get involved in the vast and exciting arts field, not only at "showcase" city centre venues, such as the Mitchell Theatre, the Forum Theatre at the Museum & Art Gallery and the Victoria Hall but in neighbourhoods around the City.

I also want to see Youth Arts Groups not only performing in our City but taking their productions to other towns and cities. We should be hosting Youth Arts Groups from other places too. Part of Peter's brief is to draw up a framework agenda so that we can all hit the table running!!

The theatre in Broad Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. 

Sunday 30th July: LAST STEAM TRAIN OUT OF STOKE-ON-TRENT

 

When I did my weekly shop at the LONDON ROAD BAKERY in Stoke, yesterday, I came away with more than my usual cheese scones, GI Bread, chocolate fudge cake and wholemeal baps. Admittedly, I usually have a few minutes natter with the owners, Marie and Sue and/or Carol the ever helpful counter server, to catch up on how their weekly market stalls are doing at Leek and various other market towns, but yesterday I was completely side-stepped by customer FRANK MADDOX. Like me, he doesn't live round the corner, but values the high quality baking from the ONLY remaining private bakers in the City.

80 year-old Frank started his 50 years working life on the railways straight after leaving school. He followed his father, brother and uncle into the industry. During all those years he drove engines on practically every route in the country and notched up some notable journeys.

For example, when President de Gaulle pulled France out of NATO he ordered the USA to remove its atomic weapons. Frank drove the engine which pulled those weapons across England to a secret arms dump, not a million miles away from our City.

In 1967 Frank drove the last steam train out of Stoke, to Euston. "As we travelled south, the tracks were being replaced and overhead electrical cables installed. The days of the 3 hour train journey were coming to an end." Frank told me.

Fortunately, his treasury of memories and varied, amusing anecdotes is shared at occasional speaking engagements. Two years ago he spoke at the Gladstone Museum and in October he is due to speak at the Rotary Club of Stoke-on-Trent. With or without a box of bread, Frank will certainly entertain his audience.

Saturday 29th July: ANCIENT & MODERN

 Islamic tile

Elected Mayor Mark Meredith would be better employed highlighting cultural influences, particularly in the arts and sciences rather than promoting a so-called "community cohesion strategy" and pontificating "that a lack of respect and understanding for all cultures will not be tolerated." (Quoted in The Sentinel 28th July 2006) 

Staff at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery have put together an impressive exhibition of Islamic Ceramics - tiles and pottery. Deft descriptions in the unillustrated catalogue point out influences and inspirations for countless European ceramicists. The link to Dutch Delft ware for example illustrates the point well. This exhibition provides a basis for me, the viwer, to enhance my understanding and appreciation of the highly developed geometric and calligraphic designs and the use of rich, bold colours and lustres. It's an entirely different issue, whether or not I wish to "respect" the culture from which they emerged.

In sharp contrast, in both surroundings and subject matter, is the TRANSPOSITIONS exhibition at the derelict FALCON WORKS, at the top end of Town Road, Hanley (looking down on to the Potteries Way). Amy Taylor's Chick Fungus, on the back wall in the picture, is contructed with dozens and dozens of those tiny fluffy yellow chicks that adorn Easter egg packaging.

Friday 28th July: SORRY SAGA MADE GOOD

This Council house was fire-bombed on 3rd August last year. The arsonists targetted the wrong house, but that was no great comfort to the tenant and his 19 year-old daughter.

A Councillor friend from the adjacent authority, Newcastle-under-Lyme District Council, got into conversation with the fire-bombed tenant while sitting in Queen's Gardens in between her Civic Centre meetings. She was astonished to hear the tenant tell her that he and his daughter had been homeless since the fire. She said: "I think I can put you in touch with a City Councillor who will be able to help you."

She 'phoned me there and then and I spoke briefly with the tenant and arranged to meet him at the City's Civic Centre the next morning. That was Tuesday 23rd July. The fire had been front page headline news in The Sentinel on 3rd August and he brought a copy to show me at our 9.30am meeting. Several questions later, double checking his story, as it were, and I was satisfied that in fact he had made countless 'phone calls to one of the City Council's housing offices but failed to get any help or positive news about the repair of his house.

I then spent twenty minutes with a senior officer who contacted various officers about the matter and then we both went to speak to the tenant and assured him he would have some positive news quite quickly. And he certainly did. Two days later, yesterday, he and his daughter were given temporary accommodation in a house together until their house has been repaired.

Unfortunately, communication breakdowns occur within big organizations. We are still trying to find out what went so badly wrong for this tenant and his daughter. Thanks to a good bit of networking between friendly neighbouring councillors, this ten month sorry saga has, at long, long last, reached an acceptable conclusion, with sincere and profuse apolgies given to the long-suffering tenant and his daughter.

Oh yes, their fire-bombed house should be repaired and ready for them to resume living there within eight weeks. Start the clock!

Thursday 27th July: PACKMOOR MEDICAL CENTRE

Packmoor resident MRS PAT MALBY officially opened the new Packmoor Medical Centre in Thomas Street, watched by JOAN WALLEY MP (Stoke North) this afternoon. Three years ago, Pat performed a similar ceremony for the temporary mobile building, which heralded the first medical centre in Packmoor.

Only several weeks ago, on 23rd June, Joan Walley officially opened the brand new Packmoor Primary School. Little remains of the original mining village except for the three terraced streets. 250 houses have covered what was Bent Farm (Bent was the original name for Packmoor) and it is impossible for the untutored eye to see that this was an area littered with coal workings and iron ore works.

I don't think anyone has ever talked about the "regeneration" of Packmoor - but it has happened, with the new moving in to fill the void left by the old. It has seemed both natural and inevitable. But of course, it is the outcome of both national government policies and City Council decisions. What has been achieved in this small part of the City is increasingly, if seemingly very slowly, emerging across Stoke-on-Trent.

Wednesday 26th July: YOUTH THEATRE GEM

As Chairman of the City Council's MITCHELL MEMORIAL YOUTH THEATRE COMMITTEE I had a meeting with the Theatre Manager, STUART CLAMP, to discuss colour schemes, tenders and programming for the internal redecoration of the theatre. I was instrumental in getting the committee set up some eighteen months ago. I was delighted that the Annual Council meeting on 1st June re-elected me chairman. I am keen to ensure its internal refurbishment is carried forward, external maintenance backlog is dealt with and to steer the 50th anniversary celebrations which will extend over four weeks in October 2007.

Incredibly, the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent launched the nationwide appeal for the memorial building in 1943 when resources were scarce and the war was still to be won. The original idea was that it would be a multi-purpose youth centre with a theatre, gym, meeting rooms and so on. Only sufficient money was collected, however, for the theatre part to be built. Nevertheless, it is an excellent memorial to REGINALD MITCHELL, the designer of the Spitfire, which played such a crucial part in the Battle of Britain.

It is perhaps the best example of '50s architectrure in North Staffordshire and I have asked our City Council conservation officers to seek to have it Listed by English Heritage. The City is indeed fortunate having such a wonderful Youth Theatre.

Tuesday 25th July: SHAM POLITICS

Witness the EXECUTIVE in action; see democracy show-cased at the City Council. The ELECTED MAYOR, Mark Meredith sits with the COUNCIL MANAGER, Mike Robinson while various chief officers present their Reports for approval. The throng of 20 or so Councillors (the majority of the 60 City Councillors clearly don't wish to waste their time on charades!) may ask questions and make observations but the decision will go forward anyway!

Centrepiece of this morning's meeting was the 9-page Report: Proposed Community Centre & Mosque Regent Road, Hanley. 

To say that the report is inadequate is an understatement. It is littered with inconsistencies, lacks clarity and contains a number of gross factual inaccuracies. It not only raises a serious question about the ability of the officer to produce a truthful and clear record of the issue but many fundamental questions remain unanswered.

The Report asserts that: THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS PROPOSAL TO BE DELAYED ANY LONGER.

Really? That should properly be the decision of elected Members. The Report is little more than a sham. It illustrates well the abysmal standards Mayor Mark Meredith finds acceptable.

So, without any sighting of the so-called multi-cultural charity or its multi-cultural trustees that are supposed to exist for the management of the so-called multicultural community centre, the Mayor happily approves the Report. Interestingly, no one disagreed with me when I stated that I didn't believe there ever would be a multi-culutral community centre built. Sham politics are clearly in fashion.

 

Monday 24th July: SAVE OUR BUTTERFLIES WEEK

Having spent two hours this morning at the OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE meeting at the Civic Centre I was delighted to find a score (yes, really, at least 20!) of beautiful butterflies avidly feeding on the rich blue Buddleia blossom in our garden this afternoon.

Trying to get a good photograph of them highlighted my need for a more sophisticated a zoom. The majority were the PEACOCK, as shown above but a quarter or so were the RED ADMIRAL. There were also a few MEADOW BROWN but I didn't manage to snap one of those.  

The butterfly expert, like one of my WARD residents, JOHN BRYAN, will know these are common enough butterflies, but I was delighted that there were so many, particularly after reading at the weekend about the continued dramatic decline of butterflies. 

SAVE OUR BUTTERFLIES WEEK was launched on Saturday at the very Field Studies Centre where I did my A Level geography field work, JUNIPER HALL, near Dorking. Farmers are more and more being encouraged to use fewer pescki pesticides and so be more eco friendly. Those of us with gardens, can make sure we have plants that butterflies enjoy, such as buddleia, honeysuckle and nettles to name but three.

The lower butterfly is the PEACOCK and the  higher one only partially revealing its identity: RED ADMIRAL.

Sunday 23rd July: LITTER PICK

So, a bit posed, but there was nothing posed about the bag and a half of litter I picked up early this morning along not more than 400 metres of Birchenwood Road, the popular rat run for McDonald's customers. In addition to the multi-national's throw away food and wrapping, there were, as usual, plenty of coke and lager cans (are they driving while drinking?), soft drink plastic bottles, fag packets, crisp bags, choc bar wrappers and wing mirrors, BUT ALSO today, a bra and further along, tracksuit bottoms.

I do this most weekends in between the Council's monthly trawl. I know several more people pick up litter along their street in this part of the City. I wish a few more would adopt their stretch of road. I wish even more, of course, that the thoughtless louts who bung their litter out of their car windows would just take it home. Surely that's not too much to ask?

Saturday 22nd July: 8th ANNUAL SUMMER ART EXHIBITION

I crossed the City border into the Borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme yesterday evening to enjoy the 8th Annual Summer Art Exhibition held at Whitehill Methodist Church, Kidsgrove. Acrylic is by far the most popular medium with the 26 exhibitors. In fact, there were only 11 watercolours and 8 oils. The standard is very good, particularly in a group which values highly, the pleasure of painting. The exhibits always prove popular too and this year a third had been sold by the end of the Friday-Saturday exhibition. 

Newest and youngest member of the WHITEHILL PAINTING GROUP, is nineteen year old Amy Pawezowski, seen here with her only entry, REDHILLS in acrylic. Former pupil at the local Maryhill High School, Amy hadn't picked up a paint brush since her third year. However, Arthur Tweats, the Group's co-ordinator sensed something else when Amy protested that she couldn't even paint by numbers! Her bold, bright triptych is not at all as barren as the lack of vegetation might suggest. On the contrary, it has a power that pulls in the viewer and the vastness evoked stimulates the imagination.

 

Another local young woman and new to the group this year, Catherine Cope, (pictured with her LAST LIGHT) gained an "A" grade at GCSE at Maryhill High School some years ago but there her painting career ceased. Until that is, she joined the group with her Mum, Diana. Catherine is delighted that she has started painting again and Arthur said: "Catherine is a natural painter and she brings a lot of pleasure to the Group." 

There is a waiting list of some 22 people but if you would like to find out more, telephone ARTHUR TWEATS, the Group's co-ordinator: 01782 786144 

 

Saturday 22nd July: FAIRTRADE SHOPPER

As I drove into one of the City's twenty Co-Op shops at NORTON, I was delighted to see a shopper with one of the Stoke-on-Trent FAIRTRADE supporter hessian shopping bags. We have sold 500 across the City during the past few months but this was the first time I spotted a shopper with one. 

Luckily I had my digital camera with me. SARAH-LOUISE WALKER and her young neice, AIMEE ROSE WALKER were a bit taken aback by my enthusiastic delight! As luck would have it, in today's SENTINEL there is a report on the City Councillors' BLOGS along with my photograph. I bought a copy in the Co-Op to show Sarah-Louise. She was quickly reassured of my credentials and was only too happy to be snapped!

Sarah-Louise, her son and her mum have only lived in Norton a week! They've moved from Milton, in the east of the City, where they shopped at the Co-Op there too. They still attend the Milton Methodist Church where they bought their FAIRTRADE bag.

During my first year as a City Councillor in 2002, I generated an all-party, unanimous vote for a resolution committing the Council to support the principles of FAIRTRADE. Since then, only FAIRTRADE tea, coffee and sugar has been served at all the Council meetings, and is available along with other FAIRTRADE products at the Civic Centre restaurant and the Potteries Museum cafe. FAIRTRADE products are used throughout the schools' catering service which organises a special series of FAIRTRADE lunches during FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT each year.

  

Friday 22nd July: Arts at the Heart of Learning & Life

Nigel Addison, Headmaster of Ash Green Primary School in Trentham, invited me to attend their Leaver's Assembly this morning. All 65 leavers took part in the hour long performance of Jack's 121st Birthday Party! The movement, dance and song were first rate; the choreography excellent. The performing arts permeate every fibre of the school curriculum so the children there are fortunate to grow up with the arts at the heart of learning and life.

The arts informing the core of all they do showed very clearly. The 11 year-old leavers performed with poise and commitment, well illustrated through their eyes and fingers. Their message was that they might well live to be 121 - but into what kind of world would they be growing older?

Without a drastic reduction of carbon emissions, the ice caps will melt, the sea level will rise and England will be a much smaller land mass! How wonderful, that these important issues were woven into a coherent performance through dance, poetry, movement and song. Thought-provoking and touching a range of emotions, this was a wonderful example of co-operative team work feeding mutual respect and self-assuredness.

Congratulations to all of the performers and all good wishes to each of you as you face your new High School careers.  And, congratulations to all the staff for helping all of the children to shine so brightly.

  

My first visit to Ash Green had been in March this year, during FAIRTRADE Fortnight. Nigel Addison (right) had invited the guest of Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, Ugandan FAIRTRADE tea producer, Silver Kasoro-Atwoki, to speak to the pupils and join the school for a very special FAIRTRADE lunch.

 

Wednesday 19th July: Packmoor Community Centre AGM

In my Chair's report at the AGM on Wednesday 19th July, I suggested the 2005/06 financial year had been a watershed for the Centre. Not only did the Centre operate at a loss the bar itself made a loss. It must be the only bar in the world not operating at a profit!

Having rather boldly increased the price of tea and coffee from 20p and 25p to 30p and 40p respectively, served at the interval during the Tuesday, Thursday Friday and Saturday dances, we were told in no uncertain terms that the prices were far too high and that most people would not pay those prices.

The new Committee has set itself several key targets. They are, to:

• make sure that the current 2006/07 financial year does not end with a loss as have the last two years.
• attract a wider cross section of people to activities at the Centre.
• attract more private hire uses for parties, weddings, concerts, talks, exhibitions and other special events.  
• build on our first Fun Day (held on July 15th) so that next July we have more attractions, activities and people.  

Enquiries about booking the hall contact the Hon Secretary: Don Harvey 01782 834852

WEDNESDAY 12th JULY National Conference for HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT Champions

About half of the Local Councils in England now have an HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT Champion. The idea was launched some three years ago by ENGLISH HERITAGE and this was the first national conference English heritage had organised.

With some 100 Champions, nearly all Councillors, though several were officers, the day proved very worthwhile, making new contacts, sharing experiences and plans and returning to our respective local authorities with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

The Minister for Culture, David Lammy MP, gave the keynote speech. He emphasised the importance of the historic environment in the regeneration programmes in our local authorities. With excellent design standards, historic buildings can be preserved and sympathetically adapted for new uses. After all, as conservationsits well know, an empty building is a decaying building. Buildings must be used if they are to survive.

The minister devoted most of his speech to the government's heritage protection review. A White Paper will be published shortly, outlining the radical new approach to LISTING historic buildings.

The proposed new approach will be open, simple and democratic. Also, Local Councils will be required to play a central role in the new system. 

As is often the way with government ministers, David Lammy left immediately he had delivered his speech, and so we still don't know if the government will finance the proposed new responsibilities and work load that will result if the White Paper reforms become law.  

After the conference ended we were given a guided tour of APSLEY HOUSE (famously, Number 1 London!!) that was the London home of the famous victor of Waterloo, the Duke of Wellington. After that we had drinks and nibbles across the road, atop the Duke's celebratory arch at Hyde Park Corner, the Wellington Arch, pictured above as the bright sunlight dimmed towards the horizon on the other side of the Arch.

SATURDAY 8th JULY Anthea & Wendy Turner fly in to drop a time capsule

St Chad's church, Longsdon, between Stoke-on-Trent and Leek, held a centenary Summer Fair on Saturday 8th July.

The weather was splendidly sunny and there was a really good community atmosphere amongst the people milling around the home-made soaps stall, secondhand book stall, farmhouse scrumptious cakes and pastries, hand-made designer jewellery, local artist's greetings cards etc.

The vicar, Fr Eric Tomlinson punctuated the afternoon with some jolly announcements. Before opening the Fair, Anthea (pictured right) piloted by her husband, circled overhead in their helicoptor. The sisters later buried the time capsule which is due to be unearthed at the end of the church's next century!

I was surprised (and delighted) to meet several people from my CHELL & PACKMOOR Ward at the Fair and to have their unsolicited assurances of support when I am due for re-election at the May 3rd 2007 City Council elections. 

 

Working for better designed buildings & places

FEGG HAYES: THE ELEPHANT & CASTLE SAGA

One more tiny step in the long-running burnt out blot on the landscape saga.

RENEW, the government's quango set up in North Staffordshire to renew and refresh numerous housing areas AGREED in APRIL to provide the cash so that the City Council can BUY the site from the developer BUT because the City Council bureaucracy moves so slowly the purchasing paper work still hasn't been completed!

Once it has been bought, RENEW will then organise the demolition of the derelict pub and complete clearance and landscaping of the site.

You may remember that a year last April the City Council Development Control Committee APPROVED the building of 24 flats on the pub site and the adjacent green area. Who knows, maybe one day soon (?) we will actually see some new build in Fegg Hayes!

How will we celebrate? Massive street party?

 

Congratulations to Cllr Paul Shotton and Cllr Stan Bate for  seeking to enhance the quality of ALBERT SQUARE, Fenton. Before I was elected to the City Council, I introduced the Council to THE WAR MEMORIALS TRUST which helped the Council with grants towards the repair of the magnificent war memorial in the square. It had been the object of mindless and costly vandalism. (see HERITAGE)

COMING SOON

Why I left the Labour Party and my work for the campaign to restore DEMOCRACY to the City Council.

In the meantime, let's recover from England's exit from the World Cup.