We'll be back

 

Gateshead Lib Dems meet for a monthly social gathering at the Tynesider on Gateshead High Street. The last gathering was on Thursday last week. We are however returning tomorrow. We will be launching the Gateshead Lib Dem manifesto "Get Gateshead Going". There is a 6pm kick off. I will be there with cameras!

Vote Labour - get Reform

 

There have been grumblings of discontent within Labour's ranks in Gateshead about our recent leaflet which included a page about the Lib Dems being the main challengers to Reform in the borough. The Labour vote, reflecting what has happened across the country, is collapsing. Labour, in by-elections and polls, are lucky to hold on to half their vote share.

Anyway, above is another graphic to demonstrate that only the Lib Dems can beat Reform in Gateshead. Labour are out of the race.

Goodbye Jim

 

Today I attended the funeral of Jim Turnbull. Jim had been a councillor in Gateshead since 1982, setting the record for membership of the authority at 44 years. The funeral was at Windy Nook Methodist Church. It was also an opportunity to catch up with retired officers and former councillors, some of whom I hadn't seen for 2 or 3 decades. 

Farewell Jim. Rest in peace.

The implosion of the Conservatives in Gateshead

We have heard on the grapevine that the Conservatives in Gateshead have imploded on the eve of the local elections. Perhaps we should not get too carried away as there was little to implode anyway. The last time a Conservative councillor was elected in Gateshead was in 1992 and much of that was the result of the Conservatives doing well nationally - they had just pulled off a surprise general election victory and John Major continued as Prime Minister. Given the history of the following 5 years, Major probably regretted his victory in 1992.

So, back to 2026, and we have learnt that there is deep unhappiness in the depleted ranks of the Conservatives at the merger of the Gateshead constituencies with Newcastle and Jarrow. Hopes of getting a full or near full slate of candidates for the May local elections are looking unlikely to be achieved. Indeed, it will be a challenge to get enough candidates to fly the flag in each ward, therefore leaving some wards uncontested.

The Conservatives may seem a bit irrelevant in Gateshead and to a significant extent, they are. But in tight seats, a couple of hundred people voting for the Conservatives rather than the Lib Dems has, in the past, saved Labour. So, the Conservatives do have some relevance in Gateshead. What we don't know is whether or not the Conservatives have lost members to Reform. I guess we will find out when nominations for the local elections are closed.

Dunston Hill - the full history

 

On Wednesday I will be chairing the next meeting of Sunniside History Society. The speaker is Dr Richard Pears and he will be talking about Dunston Hill, the home of the Carr-Ellison family.

The Kylie and Jason of Gateshead Lib Dems

 

This photo was doing the rounds of Gateshead Lib Dems yesterday. Marilynn Ord and I in 1987 at a party to celebrate the election of myself and Ione Rippeth to Gateshead Council. We were immediately dubbed the Kylie and Jason of Gateshead Lib Dems! Marilynn was elected councillor in 1998.

I am pleased to report that I have since found a decent hairdresser! Alas, I am no longer the brunette bombshell I once was. Aging and silverhaired are now more accurate descriptions of me!

RIP Noel Rippeth

 

Sad news. On Friday we learnt of the passing of Noel Rippeth, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Leader of the Opposition on Gateshead Council. He was a founder member of the SDP in 1981 and had been a Lib Dem campaigner ever since. He was elected to Gateshead Council in 1992 and became Leader in 1994, holding the position until 2010. Unfortunately, poor health forced Noel's retirement from the Council in 2011.

Despite his health, he still found time to join me on the campaign trail in Blaydon constituency in 2017, when this photo was taken.

RIP Noel Rippeth.

Get Gateshead Going

 

For the past year, the Liberal Democrats in Gateshead have been working on the manifesto for the local elections due to be held on 7th May. We have condensed the full document, called Get Gateshead Going, into a leaflet which has now been delivered to 30,000 houses across the borough. I am pleased to report that a copy of the leaflet was delivered to my house yesterday. On Tuesday we officially launch it at an event on 7pm.

At the Easter fair with Nettle and baby

 

On Saturday 21st March, Whickham Voluntary Library held their Easter fair. I take goats to each of the library's fairs so they can help raise funds. This time I took Nettle, one of our milking nannies, and one of her as yet unnamed babies. They raised £31, not as much as they raised at Christmas last year. Still, £31 is better than nothing.

Father of the House

Yesterday, at the full council meeting, tributes were paid to Jim Turnbull, Gateshead's longest serving councillor who passed away earlier this month. Jim was also the oldest member. He was 85 when he died. I paid tribute to Jim at the meeting on behalf of the Lib Dem group. I was the one who had served the longest with him. He had first been elected in 1982. I was first elected in 1987. It was therefore appropriate for me to speak about him.

Jim's passing has caused a change in the informal title of "Father of the House", held by the longest serving member. This title is now shared by two councillors: Cllr Mick McNestry and myself. Both of us were first elected at the same elections in 1987. I'm not sure if Mick is standing again in the local elections in May. He does currently represent a ward that has a better than evens chance of returning Labour Councillors in May. He may survive the oncoming tsunami. Or he may retire, in which case I will be the only Father of the House, should I be re-elected.

The conference shop

 

Last photos from conference (I promise). In the olden days when we had only 11 MPs, getting a full set of MP mugs was affordable. Now, with 72 MPs, the cost if a bit more challenging if buying the full set!

Guaranteed to be seen from a considerable distance (and probably from low earth orbit, Lib Dem must have fashion accessories were on sale at the conference shop. Put on one of those sweat shirts and you too can look like a walking Belisha beacon!

Flag waving is now part of political campaigning.

Tied to the party. 

Meet the kids at the Library

 

Tomorrow, Whickham Voluntary Library will be holding their Easter fair and I will be there with Nettle, one of our nanny goats, and one of her babies. They will be there to raise funds for the Library. At the last fair, they raised £119.

First canvass team

 

Tuesday wasn't just used by Gateshead Lib Dems to deliver leaflets. It was also used to send out our first canvass team. The Pelaw and Heworth Team - Councillors Paul Diston, Amanda Wintcher and Ian Patterson - headed out to canvass in their ward. The results were in line with expectations. In other words, we were happy with the returns.

Bridges action evening

 

On Sunday just gone, Gateshead Lib Dems had an action day in Bridges ward. Alas, with some of us at conference in York, there were bundles left over. Therefore, an additional action evening was held on Tuesday.

The plan was to deliver the manifesto leaflet.

I didn't get to deliver my usual patch. Instead, I was sent out with Cllr Leanne Brand to some of the steepest streets in Gateshead! Most houses also had significant numbers of steps leading to front doors. Shoe leather and calories were burnt off in good numbers.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Calvin were delivering the next patch. By the end of the evening most of the backlog was cleared.

Springtime in Sunniside

 

Today is the end of winter and the start of spring. I snapped this photo this morning on my way to feed my livestock. Everything is starting to grow and Plant Up Sunniside have surpassed themselves with the planters they look after. The one in the photo is on the Kingsway/Sunniside Road junction.

Apply for a postal vote

 The local elections in May will elect an entirely new Council.

If you are going away on Thursday, 7th May and don’t have a Postal Vote, your voice will not be heard. You can apply for a Postal Vote here: https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/2925/Apply-for-a-postal-vote

It's really important that everyone has a chance to have their say so if you are going to be away please do apply for a postal vote."

With the Labour vote collapsing across the country, Gateshead will be a battle between the Lib Dem Focus Team and Reform.

So if you will be away on May 7, please apply for a Postal Vote today.

Gateshead Lib Dems at conference

 

Over the weekend, Lib Dem spring conference was held in York. 5 of us from Gateshead attended: me, David Randall, Daniel Duggan, Amanda Wintcher and Jamie Rickelton. Amanda and Jamie attended as stewards but were given time off to take part in debates (Jamie made his maiden speech) and to meet up with us for a Gateshead Lib Dem dinner. 

Here are the first photos. Some more to follow later.

The train at platform 1 is....

 

On Sunday there was a model railway exhibition in Birtley Community Centre. As someone who had a trainset as a child, this was an event not to be missed. I filmed a video of my visit to the exhibition and will post it when I find time to edit it. I did discover a constituent who recognised me and who has a great passion for model railways!

Alas, I got rid of my model railway decades ago. 

2 meetings with Plant Up Sunniside

 

I have had 2 meetings this week with Plant Up Sunniside, the voluntary group that maintains the flowerbeds and planters on Sunniside Front Street. On Monday, it was a site visit with officers from the council to look at possible planting on the grassed area. I had initially suggested we explore having the site recognised as a village green. At the site visit on Monday I suggested an alternative. I shared with people at the meeting a photo I took of the crocus bed on The Broadway and suggested we aim for something similar in Sunniside. People were happy with that so we dropped the idea of a village green and have gone for the crocus bed instead. This was confirmed at the Plant Up Sunniside monthly meeting on Tuesday.

Before any planting can be done, a survey will need to be carried out by the council for underground cables and pipes. Alas, we can't just go in with spades and trowels and dig up the ground.

Get Gateshead Going

 

Gateshead Lib Dem manifesto will be launched shortly. Called "Get Gateshead Going", a mini version of it has been produced and delivery of it in our held and target wards has begun. 50,000 copies have been produced. That's quite a bit of shoe leather that will need to be worn out delivering them!

Over the past few years, our manifesto was called "Six to Fix". The new manifesto is the product of two members' away days and extensive consultation inside and outside the party. As far as we are aware, no other party in Gateshead has a manifesto for the forthcoming local elections. Indeed, in my 39 years on the Council, I've not known Labour to publish a manifesto.

Seeing purple

 

I snapped this lovely crocus bed when I was in Whickham recently, delivering Focus newsletters. Well done everyone involved with planting and maintaining the bed. It looks amazing. Indeed, it looks so good that I want to copy it and set up a bed on the grassed area on Sunniside Front Street. I've had talks about this with Planting Up Sunniside and council officers. Last night I attended the monthly meeting of Planting Up Sunniside and we discussed further the idea of putting in a crocus bed. Watch this space for progress.

Well done Tanfield Railway

 

There are many heritage railways in the UK. On my doorstep we have Tanfield Railway and I'm delighted to report that they have won a major heritage railway award. Tanfield Railway was named ‘Railway of the Year’ at the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards, held in Llandudno on March 7.

As a local historian I am delighted with the success of Tanfield Railway. I visit Tanfield regularly and it is great to see just what they have achieved. This is not just about winning awards however. Tourism is a growing part of our local economy. Tanfield Railway helps draw in visitors. They spend money in local hotels, restaurants and shops. This is about jobs and prosperity.

Visit Tanfield Railway website on this link.

Weekend action days

 

Gateshead Liberal Democrats had two action days over the weekend - in neighbouring wards of Low Fell and Chowdene. About 15 members turned up each day to help deliver the latest Focus newsletter. I'm pleased to report that 90% of both wards were delivered.