Walkabout

 

Recently, Cllr Marilynn Ord (one of my ward colleagues) and I accompanied a Gateshead housing officer on a walkabout in Sunniside and Byermoor toidentify issues on the council owned estates. Marilynn and I also had lists of issues we wanted to raise. We will be reporting back to residents as and when these issues are resolved or progress on them is made.

(photos taken in Byermoor Park)

Photos from Whickham North and Swalwell action day

 

On Saturday we had another action day in Gateshead, this time in Whickham North and Swalwell ward. Here are some of my photos. Providing lunch is always a good way to booost the number of helpers.

Library reopening - the video

 

The official reopening of Whickham Library took place on 15th October. I took the opportunity to make this short video of the refurbished facility.

Photos from the official reopening of Whickham Voluntary Library

 

Earlier this month the official reopening of Whickham Voluntary Library took place. The refurbishment was paid for by a government Pride in Place grant. Here are a few of the photos I took on the evening.

Whickham North Focus delivery

 

Another Saturday and another Focus delivery for Lib Dems in Gateshead. I was given a patch to deliver which I know well. It is now a part of Whickham North and Swalwell ward but until May this year it had been part of my ward. Lunch back at the home of Councillors Peter and Susan Craig.

Timing of this action day was spot on. It was dry this morning although it start to drizzle at midday. Had the evening weather shifted back a few hours we would have been drenched in one of the heaviest storms in ages.

Delivering in Whickham

 

We couldn't let a few days go by without delivering some more surveys. So this morning I had a couple of patches to deliver across two patches in Whickham. I was slowed up by conversations with residents and then,five minutes before I finished, it started raining. I'm not complaining. We need the rain! 

Why I'm fighting these plans

 

I put together this video about why I oppose proposals to build 210 houses to the south of Sunniside.

Ready for tomorrow

 

We are all ready for tomorrow! Gateshead Lib Dems have another action day, this time in the Whickham area. We will be delivering a survey which I printed yesterday - see photo above where the leaflets are coming off the folding machine at high speed.

Looking good!

 

Well done everyone involved with Planting Up Whickham. Flower beds and tubs look fantastic. I will be along on Sunday when the volunteers will be stripping the beds. My job is to take the vegetation to my farm and turn it into compost.

Show Racism the Red Card

The anti-racism charity, Show Racism the Red Card, appeared to have a poor start to October when it was announced that Gateshead and Sunderland Councils, both run by Reform, were withrewing support for the charity. Coming in to defend the charity however is Lib Dem led Newcastle Council. The Leader, Cllr Colin Ferguson, has announced that the Tyne Bridge and Newcastle Civic Centre will both be lit up in red on Wednesday. Well done to Reform for ensuring Show Racism the Red Card is getting far more publicity than would otherwise normally be the case.

Inside the refurbished library

 

Whickham Library is currently being refurbished. On Saturday I was able to see inside. It's looking great. Doors reopen on 30th September.

Sunniside MacMillan coffee mornings

 

On Friday, Sunniside hosted 2 MacMillan coffee mornings, at the Pharmacy and at the Social Club. I went to both!

Inside the refurbished library

 

On Saturday we (ie the Whickham Lib Dem Councillors) held our monthly advice surgery outside Whickham Library. The reason we were outside rather than inside is because the Library is undergoing refurbishment. We were given the opportunity to have a look around. The work is nearly finished and the Library is looking great. It reopens on 30th September.

Surgery tomorrow

Everyone, please hope for a rain free day tomorrow in Whickham! I will be having my monthly advice surgery with my Lib Dem councillor colleagues at 10am outside Whickham Library. Note the word "outside". The Library is closed for refurbishment so the surgery will be in the great outdoors. The umbrella will possibly accompany me.

Let me eat cake

 

Today, Sunniside hosted 2 MacMillan coffee mornings - at the Pharmacy and at the Club. I felt it was very appropriate tht I visit both and buy lots of cakes and scones. That's my lunch sorted!

Brighton Conference

 

I am in Brighton for the Lib Dem conference and yesterday I got to meet a political hero of mine: Lynne (now Baroness) Featherstone. As home office minister in the coalition government (2010-15), Lynne was instrumental in passing the legislation that legalised same sex marriage. It is because of her that I now wear a wedding ring. As she was able to pass the same sex legislation, David and I were able to get married. Lynne Featherstone, my hero.

Focus delivery, Mexican style

 

Gateshead and Durham Lib Dems held a join action day on Saturday. On the Gateshead side we delivered 1000 Focus on Barley Mow newsletters. On the other side of the border, Durham delivered their latest edition of their North Lodge Focus. 

We are used to action day lunches consisting of sandwiches. North Lodge Councillor Craig Martin had other ideas. It turns out he is a keen cook and likes to experiment. We were happy to be the guinea pigs to test out his latest Mexican themed cooking. It all went down very well!

Memories of 9-11

I remember distinctly 11th September 2001. I was working for the Lib Dem group at the Local Government Association at the LGA HQ in London. The internet was more basic and slower back then but I was able to pick up a news report that a plane had hit one of the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York. My initial thought was that it was a small plane that was involved in the collision. A few days before I had (wearing my historian's hat) studied a crash by a light aircraft into the Empire State Building in 1945. I presumed the crash in 2001 was something similar. I mentioned the crash to colleagues as they returned from lunch only to discover no one could get onto the BBC News site. Apparently it was overloaded.

And then came the rumour that a passenger jet, not a light plane, had hit the WTC. We knew there was a tv in the basement so we headed down there to see one of the towers burning and to witness the 2nd attack followed by the collapse of both towers. It was a Kennedy moment. Everyone old enough remembers what they were doing when they heard the news of the assassination. Now everyone old enough remembers what they were doing when they learnt of the attacks on the WTC, Pentagon and American Airlines 93.

With fears that this terror attack could be about to hit other countries, the Blair government ground all aircraft in UK airspace. We felt as though we were all under siege and as we were based in Westminster, next to Parliament, and fearing the rail and tube could be suspended, we were told to head home. I got to Victoria Station which was unusually crowded for an afternoon but fortunately the trains were still running. These were the days when mobile phones were simply for making calls but David was able to phone me from the safety of the North East and give me an update.

I got back to the house later in the afternoon and watched as events unfolded on television. We knew at that point that the world would never be the same again.

Front Street looking great

 

Volunteers from Planting Up Sunniside have been hard at work on Sunniside Front Street. The flower beds look great. Well done everyone.

Printing again

 

With the summer break now behind us, we are back to campaigning. I was in our print room this morning the result of which was 1000 leaflets ready for delivery this weekend.