The incidents of dog fouling have definitely gone down here as the local people 'take ownership' of this area.
I take this to mean that people here, quite sensibly, are not looking to others for help but have taken matters into their own hands to keep this attractive area that way.
For several weeks now this area has been a joy to walk in!
Monday, 6 April 2009
Sunday, 5 April 2009
Celebration
A celebration of Chris Thorp's life.
At the Lantern House , Monday, April 5th, at 2.00 pm.
He will be there in the form of the influence he had on the people who knew him.
I'm looking forward to it.
A chance to tune in with the spirit that he has left behind in the many that I've not yet met.
.
At the Lantern House , Monday, April 5th, at 2.00 pm.
He will be there in the form of the influence he had on the people who knew him.
I'm looking forward to it.
A chance to tune in with the spirit that he has left behind in the many that I've not yet met.
.
Spring
Trees always lift my spirits!
Here at The Health Centre, Stanley Street, up from the Gill.
Click to enlarge.
.
Here at The Health Centre, Stanley Street, up from the Gill.
Click to enlarge.
.
Saturday, 4 April 2009
County Square
I was out talking to potential voters in the June election last night.
Several expressed strong views about the work that has been carried out here.
What are yours?
Has there been an improvement?
Was it worth over half a million?
Does the emphasis on Stan Laurel make sense?
It was an idea strongly supported by the Town Council; did they get it right?
Why not let them and the press know your views?
This will encourage/discourage them next time!
Click here to write to The Mayor, The Deputy Mayor, the Evening Mail Reporter and me, Geoff Dellow and I'll publish your views here.
Several expressed strong views about the work that has been carried out here.
What are yours?
Has there been an improvement?
Was it worth over half a million?
Does the emphasis on Stan Laurel make sense?
It was an idea strongly supported by the Town Council; did they get it right?
Why not let them and the press know your views?
This will encourage/discourage them next time!
Click here to write to The Mayor, The Deputy Mayor, the Evening Mail Reporter and me, Geoff Dellow and I'll publish your views here.
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
The Ulverston Web Site
Preamble - below !
Click on the following town names and you get the results thrown up by Google that a potential tourist would see. Now, be honest, which town impresses you?
Ulverston
Kendal
Ambleside
Grange over Sands
Now why not write an email to the following and tell them what you think by clicking on the link below and then press send!
The Mayor, The Deputy Mayor, Geoff Dellow and the Evening Mail Reporter
Only by writing to them will they begin to change their attitude.
.
Click on the following town names and you get the results thrown up by Google that a potential tourist would see. Now, be honest, which town impresses you?
Ulverston
Kendal
Ambleside
Grange over Sands
Now why not write an email to the following and tell them what you think by clicking on the link below and then press send!
The Mayor, The Deputy Mayor, Geoff Dellow and the Evening Mail Reporter
Only by writing to them will they begin to change their attitude.
.
What does 'sorted' mean Cllr Col?
On 26th February Cllr Colin Williams informed us that this sorry sight had been 'sorted' by him.
"Thanks Geoff, for bringing this to my attention.
I have called Graham Wheelhouses' office @ Cumbria County Council but he's out of the office until 3pm today, Thursday.
This is a shoddy repair to say the least, but leave it with me and we'll get it sorted as soon as possible.
cllr Col Williams"
Could we have an update please, as nothing has changed ?
"Thanks Geoff, for bringing this to my attention.
I have called Graham Wheelhouses' office @ Cumbria County Council but he's out of the office until 3pm today, Thursday.
This is a shoddy repair to say the least, but leave it with me and we'll get it sorted as soon as possible.
cllr Col Williams"
Could we have an update please, as nothing has changed ?
G12 and demonstrations
It was reassuring that the world leaders saw the need to come together and agree action. The proof will be in the pudding - and we would be fools to expect anything in the future other than hardship.
What I found really good was that no matter how hard the press and the police conveyed the message that there would be problems with demonstrations; there were only minor ones with one guy smashing a RBS window followed by a wrecking invasion of property (no doubt there were more that I didn't see). The sad thing was that those nearby didn't manage to stop this mindless emotional outburst - but they clearly tried.
It was good to see Joe Public getting involved. Let's hope this display of community involvement continues when they get home - I'm all for it !
What I found really good was that no matter how hard the press and the police conveyed the message that there would be problems with demonstrations; there were only minor ones with one guy smashing a RBS window followed by a wrecking invasion of property (no doubt there were more that I didn't see). The sad thing was that those nearby didn't manage to stop this mindless emotional outburst - but they clearly tried.
It was good to see Joe Public getting involved. Let's hope this display of community involvement continues when they get home - I'm all for it !
Modern Education
I still act as an education consultant and was shocked yesterday to find that 15 year olds in one school were being spoon fed by their teacher in order to help them with their work - something that has become second nature to many teachers as they seek to get them better grades in their studies - this will help the school and teacher but is rotten education for the students.
They were being told that they could write to me for software for their projects.
However the teacher wrote the message to me for these year 11 students to copy.
Surely they could have done this for themselves.
This was a task they could surely done for themselves ?
How will these young people be able to cope when they leave school and later home if they haven't been encouraged to do simple tasks like this for themselves.
What is being put first is the success of the school in achieving high exam results , so the kids are not being encouraged to think and do for themselves.
As I sometimes say: YUK.
They were being told that they could write to me for software for their projects.
However the teacher wrote the message to me for these year 11 students to copy.
Surely they could have done this for themselves.
This was a task they could surely done for themselves ?
How will these young people be able to cope when they leave school and later home if they haven't been encouraged to do simple tasks like this for themselves.
What is being put first is the success of the school in achieving high exam results , so the kids are not being encouraged to think and do for themselves.
As I sometimes say: YUK.
The need to encourage tourism
Some people will be concerned about the way many shops are closing.
It is true that the well established ones who have built up good customer relationships with local people will be secure as their customers stick by them.
However there is a parallel trade industry that is extremely important for the town.
When you inquire from people in the town on Saturdays and Sundays, where they are from, you discover that a high proportion are visitors and regard Ulverston as a very desirable town to visit.
With the weakness of the pound, the North East is finding a great increase in tourism. This results, they tell us, from five years of effort in promoting themselves abroad.
I believe instead of moving forward in this field we have been going backwards and relying in word of mouth and local publicity which fails to reach the foreigner.
In this context I have been very concerned for several years that Ulverston does not have a good web site to represent us to the outside world:
Specifically to tourists who might be thinking of holidaying in the area.
For a year we had no site at all when Jayne Kendall gave up and we waited for the town council site which in the end promoted - the Town Council.
Many towns do a far better job than us.
In fact , considering all the things we have to offer in the form of festivals, interesting shops, a setting close to the beautiful mountains and Lakes, how do we do?
To get an impression of what it is like, imagine that you are a tourist from say Germany, France, Japan or even from London.
Now explore how various towns promote themselves!
It is true that the well established ones who have built up good customer relationships with local people will be secure as their customers stick by them.
However there is a parallel trade industry that is extremely important for the town.
When you inquire from people in the town on Saturdays and Sundays, where they are from, you discover that a high proportion are visitors and regard Ulverston as a very desirable town to visit.
With the weakness of the pound, the North East is finding a great increase in tourism. This results, they tell us, from five years of effort in promoting themselves abroad.
I believe instead of moving forward in this field we have been going backwards and relying in word of mouth and local publicity which fails to reach the foreigner.
In this context I have been very concerned for several years that Ulverston does not have a good web site to represent us to the outside world:
Specifically to tourists who might be thinking of holidaying in the area.
For a year we had no site at all when Jayne Kendall gave up and we waited for the town council site which in the end promoted - the Town Council.
Many towns do a far better job than us.
In fact , considering all the things we have to offer in the form of festivals, interesting shops, a setting close to the beautiful mountains and Lakes, how do we do?
To get an impression of what it is like, imagine that you are a tourist from say Germany, France, Japan or even from London.
Now explore how various towns promote themselves!
Our absurd local government.
Normally I have had to petition the authority to get things done.
Now that has changed totally.
I am finding that maybe I have to petition them NOT to do something.
Yesterday Union Lane had its double yellow lines redone despite the fact that I had requested to Nick Raymond not to do this but rather to do some of the work so badly needed in the town centre.
You are right to question why he should listen to a single individual - I was lulled into thinking that he had - however consider the fact that all eight of those I've talked to so far who live on Union Lane see this expenditure as totally unnecessary.
They interpret the system of local government to be totally bureaucratised so that common sense decisions are now impossible.
Democracy and the wishes of the locals NOT to have money spent on them appears to have disappeared down the hill along with the highly mechanised lorry that did the work and returned richer to Brampton, Carlisle, where they no doubt came from!
Sanity is now a rare commodity!
Now that has changed totally.
I am finding that maybe I have to petition them NOT to do something.
Yesterday Union Lane had its double yellow lines redone despite the fact that I had requested to Nick Raymond not to do this but rather to do some of the work so badly needed in the town centre.
You are right to question why he should listen to a single individual - I was lulled into thinking that he had - however consider the fact that all eight of those I've talked to so far who live on Union Lane see this expenditure as totally unnecessary.
They interpret the system of local government to be totally bureaucratised so that common sense decisions are now impossible.
Democracy and the wishes of the locals NOT to have money spent on them appears to have disappeared down the hill along with the highly mechanised lorry that did the work and returned richer to Brampton, Carlisle, where they no doubt came from!
Sanity is now a rare commodity!
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