Full Council

 

Last week Gateshead full council meeting took place. The Lib Dems had a group meeting before the start of the council proceedings to discuss amendments to motions. The group meeting was a bit crowded as we are beginning to outgrow the opposition office. So in a cramped room, over homemade lunches, we went through the motions and amendments.

The motions debated at full council were:

• support for social care experienced people - Labour motion, backed by Lib Dems (motion on this link);
• thanking residents and officers for enduring Gateshead flyover closure - Labour motion, Lib Dems regarded it as unnecessary as the thanks had already been given but questions about the timing of inspections have not been adequately answered (motion on this link);
• tackling intimidation and harassment of elected councillors and MPs - Labour motion backed by Lib Dems (motion on this link);
• reducing employers' National Insurance Contributions in the care sector - Lib Dem motion but amended by Labour to remove the focus on shortages of staff in the care sector. Lib Dems opposed the amendment but voted for the substantive motion (motion on this link).

Meeting the new locality coordinator

 

We have a new locality coordinator for the wards in the west of Gateshead and Cllr Marilynn Ord and I met up with him at the Whinnies Community Garden in Sunniside last Friday. Sam, the new officer, is new to working for Gateshead Council so comes with new ideas. We are planning to have monthly meetings but we will have lots of issues to raise with him. Welcome onboard Sam.

Only 3 historical inaccuracies

 

I've spent the last few weeks watching every edition of Downton Abbey (and 2 films) checking for historical inaccuracies. I only found 3. See the video to find out what they were. Last week I put the box set of Downton DVDs into the Sunniside History Society raffle. I'm now trying to watch all 52 editions of Blake's 7. The special effects budget for this was clearly tiny compared to Downton!

Sunniside Hub Meeting

 

Whickham South and Sunniside Councillors (me, Jonathan Mohammed and Marilynn Ord) were at the Sunniside Courtyard Cafe tonight for a meeting of the Sunniside Hub group. The group will be looking to raise the funds needed for a Christmas tree in the village later this year.

Meeting in the Tilley Stone

 

Gateshead Lib Dems (or at least the social media group) decided not to meet on-line last night. Instead, we met in person at the Tilley Stone pub on Jackson Street, Gateshead. I think my role there was to be the old guy who doesn't understand TikTok! But a useful meeting nonetheless! (Picture: Liam Bowering, Amanda Wintcher and me)

Like a rerun of lockdown

 

The ghost of the 1960s has come back to haunt Gateshead residents and Gateshead Council. On Friday last week, the Council took the emergency decision to close the A167 flyover in central Gateshead following a structural inspection. Public safety comes first and so, in avoiding crumbling concrete dropping onto people and vehicles, this major arterial road has closed until further notice.

The flyover was built in the 1960s but it was never completed. The aim was for the raised carriageway to continue over the Tyne and join up with the central motorway in Newcastle. Indeed, you can see the sudden end of the flyover in Gateshead and the point in Newcastle where the flyover would have joined it.

The flyover was never finished as the Labour government of Harold Wilson pulled the plug as an austerity measure. That left Gateshead with a rather out-of-place and oddly short raised dual carriageway which literally ends at the end of the road. Meanwhile, as this is a major arterial route, the congestion, bad as it was, is now vastly worse around the flyover but there is no traffic to be seen on it. It reminds me of lockdown when the roads were empty.

Mopping up in Bridges

 

On Sunday last weekend I was in Bridges ward in Gateshead for the Lib Dem action day. As I hadn't finished the 3 patches I was given to do, I headed back there yesterday. The job was almost but not quite finished - I was 30 leaflets short!

Mopping up in Birtley

 

Yesterday I headed back to Birtley. My aim was to deliver the remaining patch of Focus newsletters I had which didn't get delivered in November. Just as I finished, it started to rain. Good timing!

eFocus on NE16 no. 190

Gateshead Lib Dems recently published edition 190 of eFocus on NE16, covering the Whickham area. Key issues covered include:

• Dunston Pool under new management;
• Local Remembrance services and parades;
• Whickham North and Swalwell by-electon result;
• Concern over Sunniside woodland;
• Christmas lights switched on by Peter Pan in Whickham;
• Whinnies Community Garden Christmas Fayre;
• Christmas tree lights switch on in Sunniside.

You can read eFocus on this link.

Sunniside lights

 

Friends of Sunniside Community Hub put on a great event on Saturday evening to light up the Christmas tree outside Sunniside chapel. Unfortunately I was double books as I had a prior engagement in Newcastle. It meant my offer of using some of my goats cunningly disguised as reindeer at the event could not go ahead. I've looked through the photos and video taken by people at the event. It looks as though everyone had a great time.

Bridges action day

 

We had another action day in Gateshead over the weekend. This time we were in Bridges ward, now one of the most marginal in Gateshead. Following the by-election in the ward in September, Labour have a majority of only 65. Sunday saw us delivering our latest Focus across the ward. I took 3 patches and delivered 2. At some point I will fit in delivering the final patch.

Lights on in Whickham

 

Christmas tree lights in Whickham were switched on this afternoon. It was quite a fun event with the cast of Peter Pan (Little Theatre in Gateshead) leading the ceremonies. Well done to everyone who took part. I was cornered before I left after the event - I was asked to be on the Light Up Whickham committee. I used to be on it some years ago. So I'm now back.

Delivering in Birtley

 

It was Birtley's turn to host an action day on Sunday 24th November. So I headed down there in the morning and picked up 2 patches, one with 200 houses, the other with 250. I delivered the smaller patch and will go back soon to deliver the 2nd patch. Fortunately the snow has gone from the ground by the time I arrived in Birtley on Sunday.

Farewell Norman

On Wednesday we said farewell to my friend Professor Norman McCord. He had passed away in October and his funeral was the occasion for some of the lecturers from my day as an undergraduate and postgraduate at Newcastle University to meet up. It was good to see them again. Norman had been one of my lecturers but also my mentor when I was working on my PhD thesis back in the late 80s and early 90s. Much to my surprise, I was given a mention in the eulogy as a former student who kept in touch with Norman.

Norman discovered the Roman fort at Washingwell, Whickham in 1970. All that is left are the crop marks but the site at least could be viewed from my bedroom window of my childhood home. I had been working on a piece of research about the fort which I planned to complete this year. Alas, 4 election campaigns kept me occupied with the result the completion of the work will now be next year, meaning Norman cannot get to see it. At least I was able to meet up with him at his house in Cullercoats in 2022 to discuss the project.

So thank you Norman for all the help and advice over the years. Farewell my friend.

No show at the fair

I was due to take some of our goats to the Whickham Library Christmas fair this morning. They would have been cunningly disguised as reindeer. Sadly, the weather has put an end to that plan. We are under about 10cm of snow that started falling about 6am. Goats and snow don't mix!

This is the 2nd cancellation for the goats at a local fair. The Sunniside Community Hub are switching on their Christmas lights on Saturday 30th November but my diary has been double booked. We've agreed to take the goats to the Easter fair next year instead.

Photos from Whickham Remembrance Parade

 

After a short delay, here are the photos of the Whickham Remembrance Day parade. Cllr Peter Maughan (to my right in the photo above), myself and Cllr Susan Craig laid the wreaths on behalf of residents across the three Whickham wards. In total, 52 wreaths were laid at the Whickham war memorial. You can view the full set of photos of the parade and service on this link.

Saltwell action day

 

Gateshead Lib Dems held an action day in Saltwell ward yesterday. It was a "mopping up operation" to deliver the remaining bundles of Focuses. Most of the ward had already been delivered earlier this month but by the end of the action day, I'm pleased to say that no bundles were left. Job done.

North East Lib Dem regional conference

 

North East Lib Dem regional conference was held at Spenneymoor Town Hall in Co Durham today. There was a good turnout from Gateshead (see the photos in this post). It was a good conference. The training session on dealing with small parties such as the Greens and Reform was particularly useful. I was able to talk about the Green's campaign in the Bridges ward by-election in Gateshead in which the Greens' vote halved and they fell into 3rd place. It was the Greens' only target in Gateshead. Not any more!

Sunniside switch on

I attended the meeting of the Sunniside Hub Group last night. On the agenda was the Christmas lights switch-on. This will be taking place at 5pm on 30th November. Sadly I will not be able to make it as I have another event in my diary at the same time. It means there will be no goats cunningly disguised as reindeer at the event. The Christmas tree meanwhile will be erected in the garden of Sunniside chapel. Hopefully it will be a successful event.

Whickham lights switch on