I've had a thoroughly enjoyable morning attending two openings that meant a lot to me personally.
First, I went to Cove Infants School, where the Mayor of Rushmoor, Cllr Alex Crawford, formally opened our new Discovery Centre. A wonderful range of activities had been set up on the topic of 'Bones', with archaeological digs, real skulls to explore, games and quizzes. The whole school gathered and sang a song, then the Mayor talked about his own interest in science and exploring things before cutting the ribbon and declaring the centre open. He invited the children to ask him questions, and when asked, "How much does your chain weigh?" called for scales to weigh the badge of office, much to the children's delight. He then posed for photos with Charlie, the skeleton, which they also loved. The children then returned to their classrooms singing another song. They had behaved wonderfully well throughout, and I felt incredibly proud of them and of the staff, who had done a marvellous job.
Afterwards, I went along to Barclay's Bank for their grand re-opening following a major refurbishment. They have selected Parity as their charity for the year and invited students and trustees along to see Gerald Howarth, MP, cut the ribbon. I arrived just in time for a brilliant dance routine by some pretty flamboyant 'soldiers', with everything from break dancing to ballet. Adam, one of the students, was absolutely squealing with laughter and it was terrific to see him having such fun. The event will continue till 4.00pm and as many students as possible will be taken along to see further performances of the dance, scheduled to take place throughout the day. No doubt they will all return to the day centre with huge bunches of balloons. Inside the bank, a young man was peddling madly on a stationery bike to raise money for Parity. Like the rest of the trustees and staff, I really appreciate what he's doing for us.
Monday, 30 January 2012
Friday, 6 January 2012
Renovation of St John Ambulance Hut
Since I'm the building manager, I stopped by to see how work on the Station Road hut is progessing today and was very pleased with progress, though it's going to take a week longer than expected. We're currently under budget, so that won't be a problem financially, but Squirrals Pre-school won't be happy about the delay--they're desperate to get back in. Still, we're undertaking the work, consisting of putting in insulation and large built-in cupboards, for them, (and Ofsted) so hopefully they will be patient.
Since I became President of Cove St John Ambulance, I've had occasion to spend evenings in the hut during the heat of summer and the ice and snow of winter, so I can personally attest to the fact that it can be brutal in extreme temperatures. I take my hat off to everyone who has kept classes going over the years in such trying circumstances. I'm sure things will be very much more comfortable from now on.
We're going to have a painting weekend on the 4th and 5th February to finish off this phase, and hope to have an Open Day afterwards. With luck that will attract some new members.
The next phase will be the installation of new windows and doors, which will make a terrific difference because the windows have to be kept boarded up at the moment, so users must use artificial light all the time. Once the windows and doors are done, we'll set to and landscape the front of the building to make it look more welcoming. I think people will be very pleasantly surprised to discover how nice the hut is now. It's deceptively large, and conveniently located close to Farnborough town centre. I'm really excited by what we're doing and hope to be involved with SJA in Cove for many years to come.
Since I became President of Cove St John Ambulance, I've had occasion to spend evenings in the hut during the heat of summer and the ice and snow of winter, so I can personally attest to the fact that it can be brutal in extreme temperatures. I take my hat off to everyone who has kept classes going over the years in such trying circumstances. I'm sure things will be very much more comfortable from now on.
We're going to have a painting weekend on the 4th and 5th February to finish off this phase, and hope to have an Open Day afterwards. With luck that will attract some new members.
The next phase will be the installation of new windows and doors, which will make a terrific difference because the windows have to be kept boarded up at the moment, so users must use artificial light all the time. Once the windows and doors are done, we'll set to and landscape the front of the building to make it look more welcoming. I think people will be very pleasantly surprised to discover how nice the hut is now. It's deceptively large, and conveniently located close to Farnborough town centre. I'm really excited by what we're doing and hope to be involved with SJA in Cove for many years to come.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
Rushmoor Pedestrian Forum
The Farnborough Society recently initiated the Rushmoor Pedestrian Forum, the first public meeting of which took place on 6th December. Under the chairmanship of my friend Clive Andrews, we brought together, as guest speakers, a transport officer from Hampshire County Council, a blind lady (with her guide dog) and a police officer. By the end of the evening, we had a range of views that will provide a solid basis on which we hope to build meaningful relationships with both Hampshire County Council and Rushmoor BC for the benefit of all pavement users.
The issue that dominated was cycling on the pavements and it became abundantly clear that the mish-mash of cycle lanes and shared pavements in Rushmoor pleases nobody because of the lack of consistancy. Sometimes pedestrians are on the outside, sometimes cyclists, sometimes lanes are marked, sometimes not, the signage isn't good and there seems to be a great deal of confusion generally. I've proposed asking Rushmoor BC for a Task and Finish Group to examine the subject and hope to gain approval for that shortly, under the auspices of the Leisure and Youth Panel, on which I serve. Through my involvement with the Pedestrian Forum, I have made contacts with the Cycle Forum, the police and the handicapped, all of which will be invaluable if we are to achieve anything meaningful.
The issue that dominated was cycling on the pavements and it became abundantly clear that the mish-mash of cycle lanes and shared pavements in Rushmoor pleases nobody because of the lack of consistancy. Sometimes pedestrians are on the outside, sometimes cyclists, sometimes lanes are marked, sometimes not, the signage isn't good and there seems to be a great deal of confusion generally. I've proposed asking Rushmoor BC for a Task and Finish Group to examine the subject and hope to gain approval for that shortly, under the auspices of the Leisure and Youth Panel, on which I serve. Through my involvement with the Pedestrian Forum, I have made contacts with the Cycle Forum, the police and the handicapped, all of which will be invaluable if we are to achieve anything meaningful.
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
The Farnborough Society
It's been a very busy time with TFS, with us breaking new ground in a couple of ways that I think are important. First, there was the series of seminars on planning and development that I organised in association with Yateley Society and Fleet and Church Crookham Society. They attracted people from civic societies throughout the region and, judging by the feedback we got, they found them useful.
We kicked off with 'The Fundamentals of Planning', the day after royal assent was given to the Localism Bill, so there was a lot to consider regarding how things are likely to change. On a somewhat lighter note, the second seminar dealt with heritage protection and listed buildings, which was especially interesting for me because one of the speakers was Graham Rood from Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, of which I'm an assocation member, who told us about the fascinating collection of listed buildings at the former Royal Aircraft Establishment site: wind tunnels, a centrafuge and our famous 'black sheds', among them. Finally, we addressed the issue of challenging planning applications, probably the area most likely to affect us all.
Frankly, I got rather fed up with the organisation, not least because it shouldn't have been down to me at all--the Chairman of our Planning Group wasn't available for the meetings of the steering group, so I got lumbered. But it was the inordinate amount of fuss that really got to me. What could have been a relatively simple venture became increasingly complicated as our partners sought to turn it into a parody of a business conference, which I found rather ridiculous, to say nothing of the enormous number of emails it necessitated, over a period of weeks, fussing over details. Although we plan to host perhaps one seminar a year from now on, to keep abreast of planning issues, I've gratefully handed over to the appropriate person, who will hopefully be far more patient than I.
Our other new venture is the Rushmoor Pedestrian Forum, the first public meeting of which was held last night. The turnout was disappointing, though quite a few people contacted us to say they were interested, but couldn't make it. We had an officer from Hampshire County Council to give us an update on the Farnborough and Aldershot Town Access Plans, a police officer to deal with the legalities of common complaints such as parking or cycling on pavements, and a blind lady who brilliantly gave us some insight into her experience negotiating the pavements with her guide dog. It was all useful stuff and we got a lot of good feedback. I've got a lot of work now, sorting and prioritising the data collected. Hopefully, we've taken the first steps in building good working relationships with both the county and borough councils, and achieving some improvements for walkers and other footpath users in Rushmoor.
We kicked off with 'The Fundamentals of Planning', the day after royal assent was given to the Localism Bill, so there was a lot to consider regarding how things are likely to change. On a somewhat lighter note, the second seminar dealt with heritage protection and listed buildings, which was especially interesting for me because one of the speakers was Graham Rood from Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, of which I'm an assocation member, who told us about the fascinating collection of listed buildings at the former Royal Aircraft Establishment site: wind tunnels, a centrafuge and our famous 'black sheds', among them. Finally, we addressed the issue of challenging planning applications, probably the area most likely to affect us all.
Frankly, I got rather fed up with the organisation, not least because it shouldn't have been down to me at all--the Chairman of our Planning Group wasn't available for the meetings of the steering group, so I got lumbered. But it was the inordinate amount of fuss that really got to me. What could have been a relatively simple venture became increasingly complicated as our partners sought to turn it into a parody of a business conference, which I found rather ridiculous, to say nothing of the enormous number of emails it necessitated, over a period of weeks, fussing over details. Although we plan to host perhaps one seminar a year from now on, to keep abreast of planning issues, I've gratefully handed over to the appropriate person, who will hopefully be far more patient than I.
Our other new venture is the Rushmoor Pedestrian Forum, the first public meeting of which was held last night. The turnout was disappointing, though quite a few people contacted us to say they were interested, but couldn't make it. We had an officer from Hampshire County Council to give us an update on the Farnborough and Aldershot Town Access Plans, a police officer to deal with the legalities of common complaints such as parking or cycling on pavements, and a blind lady who brilliantly gave us some insight into her experience negotiating the pavements with her guide dog. It was all useful stuff and we got a lot of good feedback. I've got a lot of work now, sorting and prioritising the data collected. Hopefully, we've taken the first steps in building good working relationships with both the county and borough councils, and achieving some improvements for walkers and other footpath users in Rushmoor.
Sunday, 13 November 2011
Parity Christmas Market
Every spare moment has seen me baking recently, and my freezer is full of cakes, large and small, for Saturday's Christmas Market for Parity for Disability. Having declined to participate in the fire walk, being a devout coward, I felt duty bound to prove myself useful as a trustee, and not just turn up for Board meetings. So, Saturday will find me in Princesmead, in Farnborough, trying to persuade the public that my offerings are edible and hoping desperately that mine won't get left over when sales end at 4.00pm. Quite apart from the humiliation, that would be particularly galling since I'm on a diet, so having the smell of baking permeating the house has been sheer torture.
Now I come to think about it, even selling cakes might be a challenge. Perhaps I'll volunteer for one of the other stalls, to keep me away from temptation. The tombola should be safe, shouldn't it?
Now I come to think about it, even selling cakes might be a challenge. Perhaps I'll volunteer for one of the other stalls, to keep me away from temptation. The tombola should be safe, shouldn't it?
Friday, 4 November 2011
Another School Governorship
I have now become a community governor of a local secondary school, as well as LEA governor at an infants' school. Since I've gone to the trouble of attending courses and learning as much as I can about the role of governor, I figured I might as well put it to good use. Fortunately, the times of the meetings mean that I can manage both relatively easily, and I'm glad to be of practical use in the community in this way. With luck, I may find opportunities for a bit of 'cross-pollination', sharing ideas from one school with the other. Even if that's not possible, it's very interesting to see how the two schools operate, and to play a small part in the lives of the children.
The Farnborough Society
One of my great passions is The Farnborough Society, of which I am Hon Secretary and a founder member. Established in 2008, TFS continues to grow and diversify, hosting a wide range of events throughout the year--walks, talks, tours and social activities, actively engaging with the Planning Department of Rushmoor Borough Council with monthly meetings, and, more recently, creating a Youth Initiative and a Pedestrian Forum.
Our Executive Committee recognises that Farnborough, the birthplace of British aviation, simply doesn't live up to its incredibly rich heritage. A lamentable lack of vision has resulted in a generic town centre unworthy of the name Farnborough. But the potential is enormous. With a couple of friends, I co-authored a response on behalf of TFS to Rushmoor's Core Strategy consultation in which we set out our vision for a new cultural heart to the town, with a piazza-style town square and an arts complex consisting of a small theatre, exhibition space, meeting/ rehearsal rooms and indoor/outdoor cafe culture. The obvious location for such a centre is alongside Meudon Avenue, on the site of the police station (scheduled to close), the community centre (no longer fit for purpose) and the library, which is good, but in a dreadfully ugly, concrete building, and could be housed elsewhere. We would envisage the design for such a project to draw on the many former RAE listed buildings nearby, much as the excellent Redrow development has done.
I am dismayed that there is nothing to attract Farnborough's more affluent workers into the town centre, nor the tens of thousands of visitors who come for the Air Show, and believe our arts complex would do exactly that, and ultimately benefit many of our local businesses. We could have themed markets, musical events and parades here, and I am convinced that it all would engender a new sense of civic pride too. This is my dream and I shall be promoting the idea at every opportunity.
The Youth Initiative aims to produce a range of age-appropriate walking tours around the town, with points of interest to look for and with opportunities for further research. We hope to persuade schools and youth organisations to encourage children to use these to discover more about their home town and hopefully to increase their pride in Farnborough.
The Pedestrian Forum will give all walkway users a platform from which to make their views heard. We aim to bring together people who walk for leisure, to take children to and from school, to shop and to go to work, as well as disabled people, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, people with strollers and toddlers, and the elderly. As well as the actual fora, we will conduct street surveys and report our findings to Rushmoor BC and Hampshire CC. I'm a great advocate of this kind of partnership working and have high hopes that we can make a valuable contribution for the implementation of the Farnborough Town Access Plan.
Our Executive Committee recognises that Farnborough, the birthplace of British aviation, simply doesn't live up to its incredibly rich heritage. A lamentable lack of vision has resulted in a generic town centre unworthy of the name Farnborough. But the potential is enormous. With a couple of friends, I co-authored a response on behalf of TFS to Rushmoor's Core Strategy consultation in which we set out our vision for a new cultural heart to the town, with a piazza-style town square and an arts complex consisting of a small theatre, exhibition space, meeting/ rehearsal rooms and indoor/outdoor cafe culture. The obvious location for such a centre is alongside Meudon Avenue, on the site of the police station (scheduled to close), the community centre (no longer fit for purpose) and the library, which is good, but in a dreadfully ugly, concrete building, and could be housed elsewhere. We would envisage the design for such a project to draw on the many former RAE listed buildings nearby, much as the excellent Redrow development has done.
I am dismayed that there is nothing to attract Farnborough's more affluent workers into the town centre, nor the tens of thousands of visitors who come for the Air Show, and believe our arts complex would do exactly that, and ultimately benefit many of our local businesses. We could have themed markets, musical events and parades here, and I am convinced that it all would engender a new sense of civic pride too. This is my dream and I shall be promoting the idea at every opportunity.
The Youth Initiative aims to produce a range of age-appropriate walking tours around the town, with points of interest to look for and with opportunities for further research. We hope to persuade schools and youth organisations to encourage children to use these to discover more about their home town and hopefully to increase their pride in Farnborough.
The Pedestrian Forum will give all walkway users a platform from which to make their views heard. We aim to bring together people who walk for leisure, to take children to and from school, to shop and to go to work, as well as disabled people, wheelchair and mobility scooter users, people with strollers and toddlers, and the elderly. As well as the actual fora, we will conduct street surveys and report our findings to Rushmoor BC and Hampshire CC. I'm a great advocate of this kind of partnership working and have high hopes that we can make a valuable contribution for the implementation of the Farnborough Town Access Plan.
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