Saturday 10 August 2013

Mail, character assassination? - What's new?

Assassination is a bit strong Geoff.
Well, small scratch then.

What did you make of the story last Tuesday?
Who came across as sane?
Would you ever go out at night with this guy about? (It's only me)
A combination of well chosen pictures and quotes out of context paint a different story to what actually happened.
Would you ever trust the Evening Mail editor?
What else do we expect? Could this be why, increasingly, people prefer to read the Westmorland Gazette?
Why incidently is this story not on their online paper?
More on Monday !
Why not use this one, which they also took?

My response to this article to the Evening Mail Assistant editor:

It is sad that your paper has chosen to tell the story as though I am being unreasonable and a bit mad, when I suggest the opposite is true.

Here are some damning inaccuracies.

1. My photo - you could have chosen one where I was looking stern and determined rather the one with the fingers splayed out and strange facial expression.

2."refused to wait for council approval ... " is only true if the council were to further delay changes to the seesaw: changes they had promissed to be done by last September. It was saying if you don't do it we will . In fact my attitude secured a commitment from SLDC to raise the floor level by the end this September. Something we supported as it was best done when children had gone back to school, avoiding children on holiday dreading in newly installed soil. Thus my actions were in fact very responsible.

3. You miss the point that they are forbidding all work in the garden. Work that has transformed the park from what it was when you first saw it to something it is now. Furthermore at any time they could insist that all the picnic tables are removed because they are ours. We would be then left withe two benches which Conway claimed to be entirely adequate. SLDC's only picnic table was removed in 2009 because of vandalism and they had no intention of replacing it. What we are saying - we supply the picnic tables and you approve them to be safe - no more - no further obligation ie we supply picnic tables for the park indefinitely at no cost to SLDC.

Furthermore in practice, SLDC have left benches with missing planks for two years despite being asked to repair them - in the end we have repaired them with planks eventually provided by goodguy Peter Clarke.

Thus the story told this way we become the responsible party and the SLDC the negligent which is what is true.

Told your way it may make a goodies and baddies story which is not true but sells papers.

If we are to move forward the public need to see us as the responsible concerned people that produce and excellent result and SLDC as people who stick to the letter of the law and avoid doing anything resulting in a very grey drab world.

As I've just explained there is no way that we can conform with SLDC requirements as we don't have anyone that will do it.
* * *
Mr Lawrence Conway- you can buy this for darts practice for £20:00 from the Evening Mail Website
As for me -
Tuesday - the Park: see above. 
Wednesday - Grange-over-Sands: a Grand Day Out.
"Tabby McTat was a busker's cat
With a miaow that was loud and strong"
Tabby McTat by Julia Donalson of Gruffalo fame, illustrated by Axel Scheffler.
ISBN 978-1-407109-27-5 List Price UK £6.99

Worth every penny!
Yes I'm a great reader of children's stories!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I once went to mass and was told in the sermon that the little children understand and see things that we adults miss and that they are open and honest.
The picture of you reflects a part of your character the people you challenge don't perceive.
Yes you make mistakes but who else would challenge or DO ?
Don't trust the media.
Come on Ulverston unite against EVIL,INJUSTICE,TOP DOWNISM,PLEASE.
We have some good reps let not the odd kick in the tripes veer them from the cause.
JAK

Gladys said...

You don't look mad (in the deranged sense) your hands are expressive and rightly so. You do a lot of swimming against the tide of 'official' opinion - not easy but you have the guts to do it.

Anonymous said...

Of course you are mad!
M= made A= a D= difference.

LADY GAGA