A Real Proper Football Match

Immensely looking forward to the match on Saturday between Tranmere Rovers and my beloved Lincoln City. This is the type of game that I have been longing for over the past 6 or 7 seasons. Two real football teams playing one another in a proper stadium at the top end of the league table. Yes it may only be top of the Vanarama National League but that is where both these historic football clubs find themselves at the moment. Two such clubs meeting at this level is somewhat sad but still it is a game to look forward too especially in a stadium such as Prenton Park a stadium to rival Sincil Bank, probably to surpass it if the truth be stated!

Second against third separated by just a point. Early in the season I know but a really juicy fixture to look forward too.

Can The Imps get anything out of the game, take the spoils or a share of the spoils? One would like to think so but it is going to be a terrifically difficult game. For me it would be the icing on the cake to take a point or three. To be there and be a part of this game is what I am truly looking forward to. Keeping my fingers firmly crossed for a good result though! Up The Imps.

Decision Made on Important Europe Issue!

Indeed it has. I shall be supporting the Republic Of Ireland at the Euros. They are probably in the hardest qualifying group and so the likelihood of them progressing is not very high. I am used to that sort of outcome as I support Lincoln City! Madness continues then!

The Australian Points System

Now I fully understand the desire for an Australian Points System. As far as I am concerned I am completely satisfied with the present system. 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and nothing if you lose. Seems to work, so if it ain't broke why fix it?

G'Day Cobbers! Throw another shrimp on the barbie!

GOTCHYA!

List of All Euro 2016 Games on TV - Group Stage

All home nation matches plus the Republic of Ireland games are highlighted! Going to be a bit of a marathon to watch them all. ENJOY!

Friday 10 June

France v Romania Group A: kick-off 8pm live on ITV

Saturday 11 June

Wales v Slovakia Group B: 5pm BBC1 and S4

England v Russia Group B: 8pm ITV 

Sunday 12 June
Poland v Northern Ireland Group C: 5pm BBC1
Germany v Ukraine Group C: 8pm BBC1 
Monday 13 June
Republic of Ireland v Sweden Group E: 5pm BBC1
Belgium v Italy Group E: 8pm BBC1 
Tuesday 14 June
Portugal v Iceland Group F: 8pm BBC1
Wednesday 15 June
Romania v Switzerland Group A: 5pm ITV
France v Albania Group A: 8pm ITV
Thursday 16 June
Ukraine v Northern Ireland Group C: 5pm ITV
Germany v Poland Group C: 8pm ITV
Friday 17 June
Czech Republic v Croatia Group D: 5pm BBC1
Spain v Turkey Group D: 8pm ITV
Saturday 18 June
Iceland v Hungary Group F: 5pm BBC1
Portugal v Austria Group F: 8pm BBC1
Sunday 19 June
Switzerland v France Group A: 8pm BBC1
Monday 20 June
Slovakia v England Group B: 8pm ITV
Tuesday 21 June
Ukraine v Poland Group C: 5pm BBC Red Button
Croatia v Spain Group D: 8pm ITV
Czech Republic v Turkey Group D: 8pm ITV4
Wednesday 22 June
Iceland v Austria Group F: 5pm BBC Red ButtonItaly v Republic of Ireland Group E: 8pm ITV
Sweden v Belgium 
Sweden v Belgium Group E: 8pm ITV4

France v Romania Group A: kick-off 8pm live on ITV

Albania v Switzerland Group A: kick-off 2pm BBC1

Turkey v Croatia Group D: kick-off 2pm ITV

Spain v Czech Republic Group D: kick-off 2pm ITV 

Austria v Hungary Group F: kick-off 5pm ITV

Russia v Slovakia Group B: kick-off 2pm BBC1

England v Wales Group B: kick-off 2pm BBC1 and S4C

Italy v Sweden Group E: kick-off 2pm ITV

Belgium v Republic of Ireland Group E: kick-off 2pm ITV

Romania v Albania Group A: kick-off 8pm BBC4

Russia v Wales Group B: kick-off 8pm ITV4 and S4C

Northern Ireland v Germany Group C: kick-off 5pm BBC1

Hungary v Portugal Group F: kick-off 5pm BBC1

OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ! I Am A Town Crier.

I am very proud and pleased to have been appointed as the Town Crier for Burgh Le Marsh which, for those of you that don't know, is a small town 5 miles inland from my home town of Skegness.

After appearing before the AGM of the Town Council Friday last and doing a presentation I was voted in by the Town Councillors. Now it is all hands to the pump to get up and running.

Lots of things to do. Source a livery, the clothing that is worn, including a tricorn hat and a bell.

A plain tricorn, 3 cornered hat, generally worn in the 18th and early19th century.

When I started to investigate, I was surprised to find that there is no official type of livery for Town Criers, it is entirely up to the individual as to what is worn. I shall be going for something very traditional such as this shown here.

The Town Crier of the City of Plymouth.

I am planning a coat in Lincoln Green with a yellow waistcoat to reflect the county of Lincolnshire and also the fact that I am a true "yellah belly", a person born and bred in the county. There are several schools of thought as to why the people of Lincolnshire are referred to as "yellah bellies" but the one I prefer is the name was derived from the yellow waistcoat worn by soldiers of the old Lincolnshire army regiments.
I will finish the livery off with a pair of off-white breeches and white hose, with black shoes in a regency style.

In the short-term I shall need to hire a livery as it takes some time for a tailor or in my case a seamstress to create this type of outfit and there are already a few pressing engagements being lined up for me to attend in the very near future.

So what does a Town Crier actually do? Well a lot of shouting if the truth be known but much more than that. If you are an official Town Crier, then you support the community that has appointed you. This would include attending civic functions, community events such as garden parties, fetes, carnivals etc. and charity events such as fund raisers providing interest, colour and humour to the event. There is also a requirement to make public announcements in the street, providing information and news in a traditional fashion that can be traced back to the time of the Romans.

In addition it is important to ensure that you promote the Town you represent in a positive manner wherever and whenever the opportunity arises.

There is also scope to perform at commercial events and events that are not directly related to the community that you represent. These can include Master-Of-Ceremonies, After Dinner Speaking, Speaking To Groups and Organisations, Product Launches, Openings, Country Shows and, I am sure, other things that I have not yet identified.

I am in the process of applying to become a member of the Ancient and Honourable Guild Of Town Criers which is the oldest Town Crier organisation and, if my application is accepted, I am looking forward to becoming an active member and entering some of the Town Crier Competitions that are organised by the Guild. More information can be seen at http://www.ahgtc.org.uk/

I believe this could be a very exciting and enjoyable opportunity for me, indeed a whole new lease of life, and I cannot wait until I am kitted out and ready to begin my journey as the Town Crier for Burgh Le Marsh.

Keep your eye out for me, or more likely your ears out for me, as I may be coming to a venue near you!

OYEZ, OYEZ, OYEZ. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!

Correct Use Of Public Money - Mayor Making In Skegness?

Some of you may be aware that each year when the Mayorship of Skegness passes from the present incumbent to the new one there is a Mayor Making event, which is normally a dinner at one of the local hotels with entertainment. You may know that the incoming Mayor invites family, friends and colleagues to the event. What you may not know is that the council tax payers of Skegness largely fund it. Is this a correct use of public money?

The sum of £2,000 of public money is now put aside to pay for the event. This is a reduction on previous years but it is still £2,000 of your money!

I know of no other community within the county that has a tax payer funded event of this sort to celebrate the change of appointment.

During my time as a councillor, during which I attended one of these "doos" on the day I first became a councillor and before I understood that the event was funded by the tax-payer, I questioned this practice and made it quite clear that I thought that it was time it ceased as, given the parlous state of the public finances, there seems no supportable reason for the event to happen.

Various arguments were put forward regarding the fact that this is a tradition and that the dinner allows the incoming Mayor to raise money for his or her Mayoral charities but I am afraid I don't find those arguments strong enough to make me believe that spending money on the event is the correct thing to do. Tradition has its place but should not over-ride the financial imperatives of the present situation and there are plenty of opportunities for Mayors to raise funds for their chosen charity. If an incoming Mayor wishes to celebrate his or her elevation to the office then the funding of the celebration should be their own responsibility.

I am aware that the photograph of the mayoral chain shown within this article is not of the Skegness chain of office but I could not find a photograph of it without it being worn by one of the recipients. I did not use any of those photos as I didn't want to give the impression that I was "having a go" at any person, present, recent or in the past who has had the honour of being elected to the office of Mayor but at the practice itself.

In my opinion it really is time for this practice to stop and for the public funds used to pay for this event, or part pay for it in some cases, to be used for the benefit of the residents of Skegness!

Lincolnshire Beaches Amongst The Best In Europe.

Fantastic news this morning that the beaches in Skegness, Mablethorpe and Sutton On Sea have again been awarded the Blue Flag.

The Blue Flag is awarded for beaches, marinas and boating tourism operators as a statement of the high environmental and quality standards they maintain. The Blue Flags are awarded on an annual basis. It is the work of the local East Lindsey District Council operators that maintain the highest of standards and they should be thoroughly congratulated for there wonderful efforts. Out in all weathers from early morning until late in the evening they fight the good fight to keep our beaches in a pristine condition.

There are miles and miles of golden, sandy beaches stretching from Skegness north to Mablethorpe and beyond which are enjoyed by millions of visitors annually. Long may this continue. 

Central beach Skegness. Blue Flag awarded!

Let's now see the flags proudly displayed above our wonderful coastline and let's use the fine achievement of the continuing award as an attraction in its own right. 

Lincoln City FC - Reinstate the Stacey West Please!

Now. I am not a fan of locating myself in the Stacey West stand at Sincil Bank. For me the view is not what I am looking for but for many that is not the case.

The Stacey West Stand pre-match

The Stacey West, remember it is named after Bill Stacey and Jim West two life-long Imps fans who tragically lost their lives in the horrific Bradford fire, has always been viewed as a "home-stand" and should be regarded as just that. In my mind it has always been a rather perverse idea that it should be used for away fans and I know that I am far from alone in that belief.

When the decision to give the stand to the "away fans" was made the major effect was to move the "617 Squadron" into the upper tier of the Co-Op despite the resistance of many to the decision. "617" have never really sat, or should I say stood, comfortably there and there have been problems. Thankfully, these problems have been overcome but the feeling still remains that the Co-Op is not their proper home. Love them or not they are the noise generators and the atmosphere generators in the ground and having them tucked away in their present location does detract from their efforts, in my opinion. I am certain that if they were given the opportunity to return "home" to the Stacey West then hands would be bitten off!

There should be little difficulty housing away fans somewhere else within Sincil Bank, especially given the very small numbers in the majority of cases, that teams in the National League bring with them. The song fondly sung by "617" "You should have come in a taxi", bares witness to that. Do we really need the whole of the Stacey West to house, with very few exceptions, 30 or 50 away fans?

"617 Sqn" in full cry

My understanding of the decision to change the use of the stand was financial. It would save money on stewarding costs. When that decision was made I personally accepted it because of the financial position of the club which was, let us say, fairly fragile but that is no longer the case.

With the arrival of our new management duo there appears to be an uplift in positivity around the club and there is expected to be an uplift in attendance figures at the ground, which admittedly, have been less than one would like to see over the last few seasons. A deal of positivity would be added to the upswell if the Stacey West was returned to its natural use.

There seems to be little reason for the Stacey West not to be returned to the home fans, so come on Lincoln City. Let's see a sensible decision that will please a majority of your supporters, especially among the younger element who are the lifeblood of the club going forward.

"STACEY WEST FOR HOME SUPPORTERS IN 2016/17"

Lincoln City FC. The Only Way Is Essex!

Welcome to the Cowley brother Danny and Nicky to Sincil Bank. I was unable to attend the Fans Forum on Friday evening last but I have managed to watch all the footage of it. Cowley's seem to have their heads screwed on and their recent successes at other clubs would tend to support that view. I was a bit put off by all the management speak that was evident in their answers to supporters questions but that is probably just a bit of a phobia of mine. Having worked in the NHS for the best part of 10 years some time ago management speak does tend to make me shiver.

Danny and Nicky Cowley. Photo - Lincolnshire Echo.

Liked the positivity that the brothers showed though. I really do hope they help to lift the club away from the depths of the last few seasons. Chris Moyses started that process over the last 2 seasons and it was very good to hear Danny acknowledge that at the forum.

Lincoln City, despite the sour grapes from the Braintree Town chairman, are by far the biggest club that the Cowleys have managed and the expectations of the fans match the size of the club. I hope the weight of that expectation does not impair the new management duo. The fans of Lincoln City, probably like most fans at most other clubs, can be extremely fickle and I am not sure Danny and Nicky will have encountered that before. Give them a break guys!

Bring on next season and after, hopefully, a good summer with new signings strengthening the squad of players and those players buying into the plans and outlook of the new management team, we will see a lot of improvement on the field and a modicum of success coming the way of the long-suffering Imps fans.

Here's to you Danny and Nicky Cowley. All the best and I wish you well!

The Russians Liking This!

Fascinated that all of a sudden I am getting a really big interest in this blog from Russia. I wonder why that is? Is it because they like the thought of being able to follow ELDC in the imposition of a completely unfair car parking payment regime? I don't really know but something appears to have peaked their interest. I can just see Mr Putin standing up in the Politburo and explaining why some parts of Russia can have free car parking and others can't. Would he get away with it? Well based upon what has happened in East Lindsey I don't see any reason why not!

Free parking for some but not others? Yes I think that will work. Moscow perhaps but not the Black Sea coast.
Oh No!

This is a chart showing from which parts of the world this blog has been viewed. As you can see Russia is extremely prominent! Dobroye utro Rossiya!

Mother Russia

ELDC - Car Park Charges - Update

Since I last posted about this issue under the title ELDC - Completely Unfair Car Parking Charge Changes - What About The Coast, the District council have decided that they should put in place an "independent piece of research" which "will be conducted into the economic and financial impact of car parking charges in 
the district." This from Leader of the Council, Craig Leyland as reported in the Skegness Standard. 

What a pity they did not do this prior to making the recent announcement. However, there is more. Further along the following little gem was dropped: 

“Given the feedback on the overnight charge and this impending piece of work it seems sensible to defer the overnight charge until we have a full understanding of the impact of car parking charges.

“This does not affect the reintroduction of free car parking that was the outcome of a separate piece of work conducted by Overview and Scrutiny Committee.”

I struggle to understand how it can be sensible to defer the overnight charges whilst at the same time going ahead with the completely unfair decision to allow free car parking in some communities within the district whilst other communities, chiefly the ones on the coast, will still continue to pay full prices to park their cars.

Unfortunately, Cllr Sandra Harrison, who has the responsibility for the operation of the car parks tells us this in the same Skegness Standard article:

"The Council does, however, recognise that car parking arrangements, including the cost to park and tariff structures, have an impact on a significant number of people and whilst there will never be a solution that suits every circumstance, the Council will be looking at the matter over the coming months to ensure the arrangements are the 
best they can be.”

Would it not have been more sensible and more logical to have deferred the changes to car parking charges in their entirety? What will happen if the "independent piece of research" informs the council that the way the changes have been implemented is unfair? That if car parking charges need to be removed for the economic well-being of our communities that is the same for all communities? Are the council then going to make the decision to remove the charges right across the District? If the review informs them that free car parking is not a necessity or desirable, are the council then going to go to the communities who have been given free parking and take it away from them again? 

I have to agree that "there will never be a solution that suits every circumstance" but at least there should be a solution that is fair to every one of the residents of this district.

That solution is Free Car Parking For All or All Car Parks Chargeable! FAIRNESS!

Here Come The Coasters

Great to see the Stagecoach Seasiders back on the road again. They really are a fantastic addition to the scene in and around Skegness. Loved by both visitors and locals alike. Just goes to show what a little imagination and investment can achieve.

Look out for The Seasiders, Rocky, Pierre, Candy, Shelly, Sandy and the latest addition Lolly as they transport people around the local area. Grab yourself a ride on the open-topped upper deck, you won't be disappointed!

Skegness Clock Tower Going Green - UPDATE.

I have just been contacted by East Lindsey District Council Press Office who have informed me that our wonderful Clock Tower is scheduled to be cleaned. This will take place some time after Easter.

This is excellent news.

Skegness Clock Tower Going Green

Now don't get excited you eco-warriors.

This has nothing to do with The Clock Tower being powered by solar energy or a wind turbine.

Clock Tower by local photographer John Byford

No this is about The Clock Tower, or to give it the correct name The Diamond Jubilee Clock Tower, actually going green. This lovely iconic old structure, that is as famous as the Jolly Fisherman is getting covered in green algae, mould or slime. Take a walk up there and have a look.

I have tried to get a photo of it but my equipment is not good enough to show just how bad it is starting to look.

I really do think that East Lindsey District Council should be having a look at this and getting it cleaned. If we cannot look after one of the true emblems of Skegness then what hope is there?

This has stood at the top end of Lumley Road for 117 years. It needs looking after to ensure that it stands there for another 117 years!

Please sort it out ELDC!

ELDC - Completely Unfair Car Parking Charge Changes - What About The Coast?

So they have been and gone and done it!

5 months ago I highlighted the fact that East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) were planning to revert back to a car park charging scenario that was totally unfair. You can read my thoughts from back then here:

http://steveodare.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/east-lindsey-car-parking-back-to.html

So what have they done? Well they have decided to have free car parking in some amenity car parks but not in others. This is despite the last council going a long way to rid the District of the unfairness in charging in 2014 by making all car parks chargeable. This made me personally unpopular within the council as I was one of the leading proponents of the change. Cest la vie! That was a very unwelcome decision for those communities that, at the time, benefited from free car parking but at least it was fair to all residents of the District.

Now what have ELDC gone and done? Well, they have made the 10 car parks that were free prior to the changes made by the previous council free again! Honestly. Why? Gawd only knows.

Where are these car parks? Here is the list:

Cattlemarket in Horncastle
 South Street Overflow, Alford
 Millers Way, Alford
 Market Place, Burgh Le Marsh
 Sandilands, Sutton-on-Sea
 High Street/Silver Street, Coningsby
 Off Market Place, Tattershall
 Linden Walk, Louth
 Cattlemarket, Louth
 Boston Road, Spilsby

You will no doubt notice that apart from one car park in Sutton on Sea all of these are located inland and none are located in Skegness! Why is that? Is that fair? 

It is my feeling that this is totally unfair. There are communities that suffer from high levels of deprivation in our District and they are, almost exclusively, located in our coastal communities. So where is the help with parking charges for those communities? With the one exception there is none. As I have said now ad nauseum, this decision reeks of unfairness and, no doubt, some will say bias. Bias towards looking after the inland communities whilst "Devil take the hindmost" as far as the coast is concerned.

DOUBLE WHAMMY!

If that was not bad enough, pin your ears back while I impart the next little gem. Not only do the amenity car parks on the coast not have any free parking but the free parking after 6 pm in the evening that was also brought in by the last council for all car parks has now been removed. All car parks that are now chargeable, not including the 10 listed above of course, will now have a £2 overnight charge. Presumably this is to pay for the removal of the charges on the free car parks! What happened to "Supporting the night-time economy"? As they say "You could not make it up". 

I am hugely disappointed by this move which has no real logic to it. It is totally unfair and leaves a real bad taste in the mouth.

One last thought. What are our local, Skegness elected councillors doing about this? Where is their outrage. If outrage is too strong an emotion then where is their opposition to this? What have they done to fight this? Do they think this is acceptable? Looks as if they do as I haven't heard a peep from any of them. I don't think it is at all acceptable and I am sure that the majority of people in our town won't either. 

Free Car Parking For All or All Car Parks Chargable! FAIRNESS!

Leave The FA Cup Alone!

And still it goes on. The desire to ruin the greatest club cup competition anywhere in football. Turn into something that does not really matter and has no kudos! All down to the Premier League small-minded, narrow-minded and introverted clubs.

There were nearly 750 football clubs that entered the FA Cup for this season. Of that number all but 20 were outside of the Premier League but it is the will of the 20 and not the approximately 730 that counts. Football really has gone to the dogs since the Premier League was formed. Why so many? Simply because of the magic of the FA Cup. The ability to take on the big boys. Attend the big grounds, earn some much needed revenue. The wonderful feeling of watching the third round draw and knowing that a minnow, the smallest and lowest placed team left in the competition could draw the biggest and best and compete with the on an even footing.

So what am I ranting about, getting me hair off about? The totally unnecessary reforms that are being suggested so that the poor old multi-millionaire footballers that play in the Premier League don't get too tired by having to play too many games. It is sickening! Do they not realise that the FA Cup has been in existence since 1871-72? That is 145 years. The Premier League since just 1992. Do they not realise they should be giving it the respect it deserves?

We have heard of proposals relating to the seeding of teams, making the competition a mid-week competition with no replays when a draw occurs. This along with other suggestions about lower league teams playing at home when drawn against higher league teams. Why? What is the point?

I will tell you what I believe the point to be. Simply because Premier League teams do not want to play two games a week. The poor over-paid "stars" get tired. If they have the honour, at least it used to be an honour, of being selected for the English national team, those few English players that actually play in the English Premier League, they may be too tired to play properly in the summertime international competitions because of the previous winter's exertions. Bless them! How do they cope? There is no other reason. Sadly, it would appear that the Football Association have now fallen for this nonsense and are willing to change the rules of their cup competition.

So what about the rag-bag 730 teams that do not compete in the Premier league? Well they really don't matter. The fact that a good cup run brings in hugely needed finance is irrelevant. The fact that for a lower league team to get a tie at a Premiership ground, either via the draw or by earning a replay, can have huge financial benefits along with exposure to the wider footballing audience doesn't matter. In essence, football outside of the Premier League no longer matters to either the Premier League itself or the Football Association.

The Premier League has done little or nothing for football in this country since it's inception and with these changes will help to force non-Premiership football into further decline. Decline you may say with some surprise? Absolutely, decline. It has been declining in importance since the day the Premier League was formed.

I fear for football in this country and the ordinary football supporter should too. Unless of course they feel that the heart of football is he Premier League!

Caravan Sites - Longer Opening Period - East Coast

Further thoughts to my previous article on this entitled 12 Months Caravans And Flooding. East Coast. That article brought forward several comments relating to the fact that there is a petition in existence regarding the lengthening of the caravan site season but not relating to the desire to have them open for 12 months of the year. I was aware of the petition but was actually commenting on the desire of some caravan owners to see 12 month opening as they were on sites which only close for a short period in the depths of winter.

Given that, I thought I would put forward some information that may be of assistance for those looking not to have their site open for 12 months but to extend the season from the beginning of March to the End of October from the present opening dates.

Firstly a little explanation. The reason that there are different opening dates on different caravan sites is that the understanding of the flood risk by the Environment Agency (EA) has changed over the years. This is important as the EA have, for all intents and purposes, the final say on opening dates and have changed those dates as their understanding has changed. This is important as the opening dates are laid down in planning conditions when the original planning application has been successful when it has appeared before East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), the Local Planning Authority (LPA).

So back to the petition. As I understand it the petition set up by caravan owners has been worded to encourage ELDC to make all caravan sites opening dates the same, beginning of March to the end of October. That is a sensible request in my view and one which I investigated with the Planning Department at ELDC when I was a District Councillor. It is unfortunate that due to planning regulations the District Council cannot do that. My understanding is that the only way that the required changes can be achieved is for the caravan site owners to apply to the LPA to have the planning conditions changed for their individual caravan sites, which means basically that they would ask that their individual site could be open from the beginning of March to the end of October. It would then be up to the LPA to decide on whether the request would be granted and for the EA not to object to any change. So in effect the present petition has very little chance to get the changes that are wanted by the authors.

For what it is worth, my advice is for those caravan owners that want to see a change to the opening dates of the sites on which they are situated to approach their site owners and request that they approach the LPA with a planning application to vary the dates. That may or may not be more effective than the present petition depending on whether the site owners wish to see a change.

The present situation whereby one site is allowed to be open for 11 months of the year and the site next door to it can only open for 7 or 8 months of the year is ludicrous. Even more ludicrous is the situation where one part of a site is allowed to open for longer than another part of the same site. Believe me this is the case.

I hope that the present situation can be resolved but I fear that it may be a long haul. Good luck to those trying!

A Non-Obese Tax Rebate?

Not trying to be rude here but it looks as though there might well be an extra tax burden on us all soon simply because there are a large number of obese people in this county! The Sugar Tax.

A tax that could be put into place simply to try and stop people becoming obese. There is no other real reason for one to be introduced. But what about those amongst the population who use sugar, like sugar, like the occasional sugary product but are not obese? Are those people going to be unfairly taxed because as far as I can see everybody that likes the sugary products will be hit in the pocket by The Sugar Tax.

So. If this tax is brought in then how about a Non-Obese Tax Rebate to compensate those people for whom the tax would be clearly unfair? Every year on their income tax return the tax-payer could include his/her height and weight and if not declared obese could have a rebate on their tax. Those on the PAYE scheme could have the same done by their employers. Result. Those that need taxing over their sugar intake would pay The Sugar Tax and those that don't need it would not be hit.

Good idea eh? Now where is my MP's contact details, I am sure he will see the sense in this? Toodle ooh!

Travelodge For Skegness - Best Location For It?

With the fairly recent news that Travelodge is following hot on the heels of Premier Inn with a strong interest in opening a new hotel in Skegness it has set me thinking where would the best location for it to be built.

In my view it would be on North Parade where the recently defunct Dinosaur attraction, The Lost World Adenture Park, was located.

The now closed Lost World Adventure Park.

There are two reasons for this in my view. Firstly, it would bring extra life and footfall to the northern end of the promenade, something that has needed to be done for several years. This land, owned by local businessman Dave Scott of the Jewellers fame, which I believe is up for sale, already has outline planning permission for a hotel that was granted some time ago by East Lindsey District Council. If the permission has lapsed it should be very easy to have it reinstated or for a new planning application to go through the system.

In my view that would be an ideal location. I am sure that there are other locations that people can think of, the planned business park on the A52 for one but in my view, if I was to build a hotel here, I would want to be in the town itself.

I have no idea if Travelodge will make an appearance any time soon but if they do then that is where the hotel would best be placed in my view! Wherever it finally goes, if it does, another national chain should be welcomed with open arms.

East Lindsey District Council To Receive More Government Money!

It has been announced today that East Lindsey District Council is to receive nearly half a million pounds more money from central government for budget year 2016/2017 than had previously been the case. This is great news and will go a long way to covering the deficit being experienced at the council.

The County Council will receive an addition £5.1 million of funding.

This is as a result of rural MPs from around the country meeting with the Chancellor to thrash out a new deal for rural counties.

I don't know exactly what this will mean but I hope that it will result in less service cuts than those already planned by both councils. Fingers crossed!

Skegness Is A Product

Now that may seem like a strange thing to say but that is how I view our town. It is a product. Something like a tin of beans or a car. It is, of course, the place where we all live and that is just as important but for now I am talking about the economic side of our town, the side that provides the jobs and pays the wages.

What is this about? Why does the statement "Skegness is a product" need to be made? Simply because that product is under threat, understandably, but under threat none-the-less.

East Lindsey District Council is under severe financial pressure. Nothing unusual there. All councils at a district level or above are. The noises coming out of Manby are that there have to be cuts, which is the case, but that they will give some priority to Economic Development, ensuring that the economy of the district moves forward. I think that outlook has a lot of merit. As a result of this outlook the council have created a councillor who has the responsibility for Coastal Economy and another that has the responsibility for Market Towns and Rural Economy which should be seen as a positive move.

Having said that, I cannot understand how, going back to "Skegness is a product", planning to reduce the attractiveness of the town to the very people that support the economy, our visitors, is going to help to develop the economy. If you are trying to sell a product, do you remove the ingredients? If you make beef stew that is selling very well, do you then reduce the beef content? Would that make the product more or less attractive to the buyer? Logic tells me it would be less attractive.

From what I understand the following ingredients that make up the product that is Skegness are in danger of being removed. The Fairy Dell Paddling Pool, the public toilets and the bowling greens.

Now there may be others that I have not heard about as well.

The much loved Fairy Dell Paddling Pool. 

I really cannot understand how removing those three facilities from the town will not have a long term detrimental effect on the tourists going forward. Can you imagine coming to a seaside resort for a day, day-tripping is the bread and butter of our resort, and not being able to find a toilet for either yourself or the kids when you need one? That to me is something that would be a huge detriment. The Fairy Dell is hugely popular with both tourists and local alike. It is very unusual for a resort to have such a lovely, free to use, attraction. Again it would be detrimental to lose it. As for the bowling greens. Well they are slightly different. They do not get the use that the other two do but they are very important to the hoteliers due to the large bowls competitions that are held at intervals during the summer. These include a national competition that is run and organised by the English Bowling Federation. What would it say about our town and the economic development of it if these greens were taken out of commission. Not a lot.

I believe that, given recent events elsewhere, the district council will place the onus on keeping these resources open on Skegness Town Council. Would they be able to take them on, could they take them on. That is a whole different issue given recent decisions. That will make a blog of its own.

We have seen some excellent inward investment from the private sector recently with the probability that there could be more to come. Our local district council should look at that as a huge positive and do their utmost to back that investment up, not remove the ingredients of our beef stew. Final thought. What are our local District Councillors doing about this? They are all very quiet.

It's A 5 O'Clock Thing

If there is one thing I hate about winter time it is the fact that it gets dark so early. Wandering about in the gloom ate 3.30 in the afternoon is just not right.

There are two points in winter when I start to feel that the year is heading in the right direction.

The first is the 21st December, Midwinter Day or Yule as it was once called. Yes folks your Yule Log comes from this Pagan festival celebrated mostly by the Norsemen of old. The birth of the new sun when the days start to lengthen and we move inexorably towards the spring.

The second is just a personal thing for me. No historical or religious significance. It is when it is still light at 5 o'clock in the evening. Don't ask me why I feel this way as I could not give you a logical

answer. I just do.

When it is 5 o'clock and still light it tells me that we are nearly there, nearly out of the darkness of winter and into the real New Year rapidly heading towards spring.

Daft as it seems, I just cannot wait for that to happen. Lifts the spirit and the heart. Definitely not a 5 o'clock shadow!

Soon be summer!

12 Month Caravans And Flooding. East Coast.

Today is the anniversary of the East Coast Floods that devastated our area in 1953 during which over 300 people lost their lives. This disaster alone should tell us that there is a need for flood protection in our area both physically and through legislation. Over the last few years there have been many "near misses" when the sea threatened to inundate the land once again, with December 2013 being the one that came the closest to being another disaster. It caused much damage along the coast but thankfully, in the main, the flood defences held and no lives were lost.

I raise this issue not only because today is the anniversary of the 1953 disaster but also because there is now a push to allow caravan parks to be open and occupied 12 months of the year. I can fully understand why people who own caravans and also the caravan parks would wish to see this happen. I also understand the economic arguments for allowing it to happen. The wishes and the arguments need to be set against the issue of safety of the caravan occupants.

Caravans during the 1953 flood.

In the event of a serious inundation, caravans become flotsam and jetsam. Large metal boxes that are at the mercy of the onrushing waters. A flooding tide moves at incredible speed and caravans stand little to no chance of being stable even if chained down.

The caravan parks we have are not residential, they are holiday parks. Any residential park would already be allowed to have people on them 12 months of the year. None of the holiday parks would have received planning permission if they had originally applied for residential status. Why? It was not deemed safe to do so and still isn't under planning legislation.

It is for that reason that those wanting to see caravan parks open for 12 months of the year in the flood zone have a forlorn hope. The Environment Agency will not let it happen and would oppose any move for it to do so.

It is a real pity that is the case but in my view there is not good enough reasons to put people at risk.

50% Increase In Skegness Town Council Tax?

I am reliably informed that after a local survey there is a majority of Skegness residents that believe it is okay to increase the Council Tax by 50% and they would be prepared to pay it!

Through the roof in Skegness?

If it is correct that people in Skegness are happy to support such a rise then I am dumbfounded. If that was to happen and then combine that with the increases that are inevitable relating to the share of the council tax from East Lindsey District Council, Lincolnshire County Council and the Police Authority it would put a great deal of financial pressure on an awful lot of people within the Skegness Town Council area.

Going back to the survey, where can I see the results of this survey? Is there an online presentation of the results?

I would love to see that I am in the minority by not wishing to see such a ridiculous and draconian increase.

Just out of interest. I don't know if you are aware that Skegness Town Council voted through a 23.6% increase in its share of council tax last week, so it appears they have taken the results of the survey to heart!

Dig deep people of Skegness!

Impulse Buys

Okay so they got me. I am normally not one for impulse buys, being a little "careful" with my money but I fell for this one.

Went into Lidl and saw them. For some reason I just couldn't resist. No idea why. They were an absolute bargain though. Perhaps that was the only reason? Who knows.

Just how long is it going to take me to eat twelve dozen Weetabix, that is 144 for the uninitiated. Think I will probably look like a Weetabix by the time I have finished.

Junior Doctor's Strike - Just Wrong

So they have been and gone and done it. The junior doctors have gone on strike. Why? Apparently, because changes the government wish to make will put patients at risk. Really? Will those changes put patients as much at risk as there being no doctors available to see sick people in hospital? If the answer to that is yes then they may have a point. Obviously, it is no.

Thousands of appointments have been cancelled today. That is going to mean that patients who need to be seen are not going to be seen. Patients referred to Secondary Care by their GPs who may have waited weeks to be seen at hospital will now not be seen and will have to wait weeks to get another appointment. Patients put at risk? You decide.

What this is really about is money and not working more weekends than happens at the moment. Junior doctors will tell you they will work more hours whilst at the same time the maximum working week for junior doctors will reduce from 91 hours a week at present to 72 hours. I have heard that there will be a 30% reduction in earnings for these junior doctors. That has been debunked. Yes there will be a reduction in unsocial hours payments but there will also be an 11% pay rise on basic pay. That will mean that the basic salary for the most junior doctors just starting in hospitals will be above £25,000 a year plus the benefits. In the second year that will be well over £30,000.

More doctors working at weekends is essential to provide a 7 day a week Secondary Care system that is safe. At the moment that is not the case. At this time, for a patient arriving in hospital on a Saturday or Sunday there is a 15% greater chance that they will die. Is that really what we want to see?

The British Medical Association (BMA) have pressed the nuclear button here. If this series of strikes, yes there are 3 planned at the moment so patients keep your fingers crossed, does not work; what then? Longer strikes? More patients lives put at risk? Where does the BMA go from here in regard to this? I think we, as the people that pay for the NHS, should be really worried. Will the hardliners at the BMA be prepared to back down? Will they put the patients first as all medical professionals are required to do? Interesting questions.

Having worked within the NHS for 9 years, I have huge respect for the medical profession at all levels but in this case I think the BMA and the junior doctors who are walking out of hospitals and GP surgeries are completely wrong to do so. They ARE putting patients at risk. There is no doubt about that. In the end that should be the most important consideration.

There should be further negotiation with the government regarding all of this. So come on you healers, you savers of life and reducers of suffering. Do it now. For the patients.

Blue Denim Platform Boots

Today is such a sad day. I have heard of the death of one of my all time musical heroes, the genius that is David Bowie.

When he came along in the early 70s he completely changed my musical tastes. For me, there has never been nor ever will be a musician that has changed and shaped popular music more dramatically or emphatically. His influence has been there for all to see for the past four decades and it will continue to be there for years to come.

I really got into him in 1972 with the release of the Ziggy Stardust album. I was fascinated by this strange exotic creature, both his look and his music. At the same time I joined the Army which was just about as far from Ziggy as could possibly be.

Then came along Aladdin Sane album the cover of which completely blew me away.

By now, of course, my once shoulder length hair had been converted to a short back and all over and my loon pants, my favourite pair were maroon down to the knee and then green down to the cuffs, had been replaced with Levi jeans, taking me further away from the Bowie image that I found so fascinating.








The release of Diamond Dogs in 1974 coincided with me being posted to Cyprus. The cover of Diamond Dogs was considered more outrageous and exotic than those that had gone before. To me just the more fascinating.

Taking a trip out to Larnaca just after the invasion of the island had occurred in the same year, I saw a fantastic pair of blue denim platform soled boots in a shop window. Bowie boots! On impulse I went in and bought them in an extremely expensive transaction. Why? I had no idea. Could I wear them? Something that outlandish? As a squaddie, really? No. Just wasn't done. So I put them in my locker and they never saw serious action on my feet. I had them for years and never wore them.





Now the icon has left us. David Bowie is no more. He has left his legacy in his music and in the wider issue of "culture". He will be long remembered. Do I still have my blue denim platform boots? Sadly no. They went a long time ago. I cannot remember when or why. Today they come back to my mind. How I wish I had the nerve to wear them when I had the chance.

2016 - Build The New & Preserve The Old In Skegness

Build the new and preserve the old, that should be the mantra for 2016. Build the new, The Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre Restaurant on Pier Field and preserve the old, The Pavilion in Tower Gardens. Both of these projects have been rumbling on long enough and should now be resolved. Lot's of people have had their say in lots of ways and it is now time to put that behind us.

Of the two projects, the easiest one to bring to fruition will be The Premier Inn development. It will bring new investment into the town to the tune of £7.5 million and will bring much needed all year round employment. In addition, I believe that it will attract a new clientele to the town and the very fact that an international company such as Whitbreads, the owners of Premier Inn, are showing such faith in Skegness will encourage more large companies to do the same. The recently announced Travelodge interest is testament to that. In my view the case has been made and this should now go smoothly forward to allow the construction of the development to begin so that the new businesses can open in 2018. 

The Pavilion in Tower Gardens is a whole different proposition. Although the present effort to save this building has been running for nearly two years, the end of the saga appears to still be some way off. Two things need to be achieved to allow this project to go forward. Firstly, there needs to be a professional, solid, workable and viable business plan that will ensure that the building will be a real proposition going forward for many years. The £50,000 of funding that has been achieved via the

The Pavilion as it stands now.

Coastal Revival Fund should allow that to happen and should be a huge boost in driving the project forward. It is hoped that the subsequent business plan will be acceptable to East Lindsey District Council and that it will allow them to release the building to the community. Once that has happened then the next challenge, a huge one in my opinion, will be to access funds for the renovation of the building to allow occupation and use of it. Various, wildly differing, sums have been put forward regarding the cost of doing that but whatever the actual confirmed cost, raising the monies required will be exceptionally difficult, not impossible, but exceptionally difficult. Hats off to the community group that is battling away to bring The Pavilion back to life. I hope that 2016 will finally bring this to fruition. 

So 2016 could bring new life to the town and resurrect old life. Would that not be a great outcome?