http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2956225/Council-boss-refused-quit-grooming-scandal-gets-600-000-payoff.html

The compensation element of the pay off matches the figure that Bill Norman was grateful to pocket when he left Wirral Council i.e. £151,000.

The public can be reassured that a clean bill of health will be issued to enable this valuable public servant to pick up a suitable role elsewhere.  I'm sure Mr Norman would agree, middle age should be no bar to personal ambition, particularly when one has much value to offer to a sadistic, callous, bullying organisation like Herefordshire County Council.

Admittedly, a £450,000 pension for this lady will not be enough to scrape by on, or to satisfy the lifestyle demands typically enjoyed by the cream of the crop - those go-getters who are rightfully prized, courted and feted as 'the best' public servants.

Oh and failure to act on child abuse is neither here nor there; merely a footnote.  These things tend to happen when you're trying to harmonise a busy work / life schedule.

The annual flavours of Herefordshire food festival has been cancelled due to lack of sponsors
& spiraling costs.

You don't see this everyday in Hereford

Must get this off my chest ......

Heard the CEO of the Wye Valley Trust on BBC HW a couple of days ago saying that they are doing their best to be out of "Special Measures " by OCT 15 ......well if my friends experience is anything to go on they have a long way to go ............

Our friend is 81 years old , lives in Wales but was sent an Appointment at the hospital for a small operation for 11am yesterday .

Left home by car driven by her son at 9.30am , arriving at the hospital car park at 1045am , reported to the correct Reception at 1050am ....waited and waited ...wil not be long Mrs !!!! .....was called in at 4pm for the operation ...........arrived back home at 8pm. Forgetting how much the son paid for the privilege of parking think of the stress and strain on our 81 year old friend ........

Will she complain .....no , us old people are of the opinion that we are a hinderance for the hospitals to deal with and if we complain we will be classed as troublemakers with the attached problems .

Our friend also added that she has been treated better in one of our local Supermarkets - that is such a poor indictment of the Caring Profession

I now feel better with sharing this rant - thank you for reading it .

Ross Road 5 minutes ago

I love this, hardly 'Free Parking'

I will never understand this. So they want us all to go to their shopping centre but we have to pay to park. I have just returned from Poland most of the shopping centres offer 'Free Parking' to encourage customers and also put of Free Buses in many places too.

I'm sure we've all been delighted by the deluge of positive stories about Bill Wiggin in the HT - and are grateful to Gary Bills-Geddes for the unquestioning way he reprints press releases from Bill's pr person.

Today's is particulary good.  Bill is seen with a poorly child and quoted:

Quote

Mr Wiggin said: “Charities are an essential part of the UK medical research environment and the science budget is vital to supporting their research.

“By funding the day-to-day running of science facilities, the next government will ensure that researchers can concentrate on finding the next life saving cure."

 

There is lovely photo too.  I don't know how to get it on here but the link is:

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11783223.MP_backs_Government_funds_for_heart_research/

Ahh!

By chance, I happened upon this article from another local newspaper elsewhere in the country: The Worksop Guardian.

They too have an MP with a similar interest in helping the sick.  Their MP Kevin Barron is quoted:

Quote

Sir Kevin said: “Charities are an essential part of the UK medical research environment and the science budget is vital to supporting their research.â€

“By funding the day-to-day running of science facilities, the next government will ensure that researchers can concentrate on finding the next life saving cure. If we are to prevent and treat devastating conditions like cardiovascular disease, we need continued investment in pioneering research.â€

 

Sir Kevin is then photographed.

http://www.worksopguardian.co.uk/news/local/dinnington-mp-s-quest-to-protect-live-saving-bhf-research-1-7096948

Great minds think alike. 

The gigantic loads are set to leave Cotswold Airport at Kemble at 7am on Satruday, 14th February and will join the M4 at junction 15. Anyone travelling on the motorway should give themselves plenty of time to get to their loved ones as the plane fuselages make their way along the M4 to Bristol, where they will head up north on the M5 through to Gloucestershire, heading to a breakers in Herefordshire.
 

Exeter Express and Echo 

Final public consultation on Core Strategy before Government submission (Herefordshire County Council) See below

My son is looking for funding for his final project at Uni, any help would be greatly appreciated as Tesco say 'Every Little Helps'

A Fifteen-minute documentary that will follow Simon Taylor (our Presenter) aiming to gain an understanding of just how significant Robert Howlett’s portrait ‘Isambard Kingdom Brunel and The Launching Chains of the SS Great Eastern’ was to the Industrial Revolution. 

 

Simon Taylor will chat with historians & photographic analysts to find more information around the photograph so that he can recreate the photo in a 21st Century version of its original setting - Burrell's Wharf in Millwall, London. 

 

Isambard Kingdom Brunel was an inspirational and hugely talented engineer who revolutionised Industrial Britain and architecture to what is it today. Much of what he created is still seen and used today. This is the primary photograph that is used wherever Brunel’s name is mentioned.

 

With the money raised we plan to use to cover expenses for travel and resources for the final product. 

 

Any donation would be massively helpful to allow us to explore who one of the Greatest British Men, Isambard Kingdom Brunel was. It will also allow us the opportunity to acknowledge how the work of Robert Howlett portrayed such a historic figure.

 

Don’t forget to share this project and like us on Facebook @thelaunchingchain and try to and get as many people behind this fascinating documentary as possible.

 

Thank you, 

The Launching Chain

 

https://vimeo.com/119472155

Link To Donate Here

Masquerade At The Shirehall 7th March

A very disturbing rumour came to my attention this evening about Unison the Public Sector Union who have a branch at Hereford Council.

I won't disclose it at the moment until I have checked out the facts but I was curious if anyone else out there had ever paid Union fees on the understanding that they could rely on their Union when they had a work related issues but were refused representation when they needed it? Are Unions really in bed with the Employer? Is your money wasted and should you hold onto your monthly fees and go it alone?

What do you think?

Why are the Police so fascinated with electricity and why do they seem intent upon electrocuting those of us who display a little public disobedience.

Never a day goes by when you read that they've made another poor soul ride the lightening bolt. Whether it's some guy up a tree howling at the moon and refusing to come down and be nicked because he's drunk and disorderly or the chap who's threatening to throw a slice of hot food in their direction, they get three unholy barbs fired at them and subsequently wriggle in agony for thirty seconds as fifty thousand volts find their way out of the poor so.ds body and down to toward the good earth.

It's my understanding that the Police Federation have placed a proposal before the Home Secretary requesting that every single Officer be issued a Taser so that the electrocution can continue.(I'd expect Roger to post a response)

I can't say I know a lot about Taser's and why they were issued to the Police in the first place, but I do know that the original purpose was to avoid lethal force, namely getting shot dead. So why, given that was the original intention, and I'm certain it was, why are the Police now punishing people for civil disobedience.

Not so long ago some poor man who was blind was walking up the road, minding his own business when the Police approached him, told him to drop the weapon which was a white stick and when he didn't, he to was made to ride the lightening bolt.

Why is this happening? Have the Police been able to shift away from the original pledge to only use the Taser if a life was threatened or are they now in an area that allows them to electrocute us if we present a threat to public order or we might punch someone.

Course if the latter is correct and they can now lawfully use this weapon to prevent civil unrest and punish, then my guess is it'll be down to the threat level an individual Officer feels before they decide to pull out the Taser and make you writhe in agony. So what happens if I come out of the Commercial acting like a fool and I come up against a seven foot beast of a copper who can quite easily deal with me. My guess is, I won't get electrocuted. But, if that Officer happens to be a young slip of a girl who's threat level is considerably lower, my guess is I'm going to ride the lightening bolt.

Proposed change of use from public house to 3 no. separate houses (domestic)

Would you post on Bulls Banter? Perhaps you are bored with "self-flagellation"? Anything on there that even vaguely hints at questioning the party line is just a recipe for abuse - unless that is what you were looking for????

Many fans will just agree with the Hales bid because it is backed (yes there will be a member vote) by HUST. Who knows who make up his consortium and what their financial clout or expertise is? But it must be OK because they are long standing fans and not from Essex!!!

Favourite subject of mine this one.

Here's a recent news story concerning the Press Gazette and its approaches to the Metropolitan Police on the subject of RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act) and the extent to which these powers have been used to spy on journalists.

Where do investigative journalists stand when coming up against what could be an abuse of the Act?

Are the police at fault?

Are the defences of 'feeling annoyed' and 'having your processes disrupted' sound reasons to hold onto this information?

Where does the public interest stand? (Nowhere.  Because it's not relevant under Section 14 / Vexatious Requests - whoops!)

Perhaps the problem lies with the way the law is phrased?

The Act allows the Met Police to put up another exemption if this one's overturned, or if they want to withdraw it.

However, my mind is pretty much made up where certain organisations are concerned.

http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/vexatious-annoying-and-disruptive-press-gazette-barred-met-asking-more-ripa-questions

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Nothing 'Official' out there yet but might appear in due course. But this appeal is obviously genuine ...