Thursday, December 31, 2009

Sad deaths of Peter Moore and Joan Katchik!

Very sad news about the death of Peter Moore, Southwark's and London's Town Crier for many years!


I knew Peter very well over my near 16 years as a Councillor and he was a truly lovely man who really believed in what he was doing and gave his heart and soul to the job, and was especially fond , I know, of Southwark! He was due to be given a Lifetime Achievement awartd at this year's London New Year Parade and I know he would have been very proud of that. Hope I am back in time to attend his Funeral in Southwark Cathedral, again a fitting tribute to him!
The BBC covered his death in thier local news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8434333.stm
This follows on from the sad death of ex-Mayor and Southwark Labour Group Colleague Joan Katchik who died earlier in the month. Again I worked closely with her and know how much she loved her signing and acting and of course her beloved Leicester City!!
Two very sad losses at the end of the year!

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Brunswick Park Decides and Hibs lose but Stokes gets fastest SPL Goal!!

I have now heard that the Brunswick Park Ward Shortlisting and Selection Meetings will take place next week so this is the "last chance saloon" for me in terms of next year's Elections so I will take my chanes with the other candidates and see what happens!!I still think that I have something to offer to Camberwell and Southwark over the next four years so hopefully I can convince the Party members of that next week?
Hibs lost surprisingly heavily at home to Rangers, 4-1 but it looks like it was just one of those days with Miller, Boyd and Novo on fire for Rangers and our central defenders awol, even with Bamba playing before his month away with the Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup!!
The real highlight was Anthony Stokes goal after 12.4 seconds, the SPL's fastest ever. See video below:
Unfortunately after that great start we lost four see below for highlights:
No need to panic with the Hearts Derby next and a good win needed!!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Christmas from a Snowy Edinburgh!!

Just resting after last day shopping in a very cold wintery Edinburgh. Took some nice pics of the castle and the City and some very tired reindeers in Princess Street Gardens!
Have a good Christmas and a good year in 2010 especially if you are a Labour Party member or Supporter!!

Monday, December 21, 2009

More evidence of Southwark failing, Alison selected, BPK re-run, back in Scotland and Stokes wins it for Hibs again!!

Southwark News covered the story this week of the apparently unstoppable slide of Southwark Council from an improving borough to one of the worst performing in the Country!! Looks like the Tory/Lib Dem Administration have aready given up and are treading water until they are booted out in May, just a pity that Southwark Residents have another 5 months to suffer of this pathetic bunch!!
Fantastic news about my good friend and Camberwell Councillor collegue Alison McGovern who on Saturday was selected by her home Constituency of Wirral South as their PPC at next year's Generasl Election!! Congratuations to her and good news for the people of Wirral South!!
The Brunswick Park Ward Party have decided to re-open the Shortlist and Selection process and obviously I shall be putting my name forward. I have no expectations from this and wil have to put my case on an equal basis with the other canidadates but hopefully it will all be sorted out by Mid-January and I shall know my fate!
I am back homne in a very cold and wintery Edinburgh for the Christmas and New Year Break! Good battery charging exercise for the rigours of the first half of 2010!!
Hibs and Anthony Stokes going great guns with an excellent 2-0 victory over a very good Aberdeen side at Pittodrie on Saturday! Rangers next at Easter Road!
Highlights through the link below:

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Last Chance Saloon for me in BPK, Christmas Lunches, Wonderlands and Markets!!!!


Brunswick Ward members meet tomorrow night to either ratify the 3 shortlisted names or re-open the shortlist which is now my only possible route to being a Councillor in Camberwell past May next year. I have no part to play in it so just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow night!! At least I will know by tomorow whether the door has been firmly slammed in my face or if my foot remains slightly trapped in the door letting a little light in!!!
We had our office Lunch at Grapeshot in Shoreditch yesterday and the food was as good as ever so a nice time had by all. The Estates lunch is this afternoon in N1 at Kings Cross!
I went with Clair and Shauna and Sophie to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park on Sunday. Kids loved it very busy and very very expensive!!!
The Camberwell Christmas Market is on the Green on Saturday but I will be long gone back to Edinburgh by then but hope it goes well!!
Hibs are solidly in 3rd place in the SPL with the important holiday programme about to begin with an easy home match against Rangers on the 26th and Hearts in the New Year!! if we come out of it still in 3rd place I will be pretty confident of keeping that spot til the ned of the Season!!

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Town Hall problems, OSC, London Met in trouble and Hibs keep on winning!!

More signs perhaps of the wheels falling off at Southwark with the very critical Report from the Care Quality Commission and the Secretary of State making Southwark "a priority for improvement"! This follows on the from the Audit Commissions "Red Flagging" Southwark Housing, two major areas of work where Southwark are clearly failing!!!

I spent over 5 hours at the Town Hall at OSC going over the Elephant and Castle deal with Lend Lease in fine detail, well as much detail as we had which was not very much really!!
The crunch time is with the Regeneration Agreement due next March 2010 just ahead of the Elections and we plan to spend a lot of Scrutiny time between now and then going over it as it is the point of no return. There is an argument for not taking any such decision without the endorsement of the new Administration so i hope that sense will prevail and that there will be no mad run to sign ahead of that and risk repenting at leisure!!
Lots of worries about London Met University with HEFcE , the Governors and Executive at loggerheads! There are lots of very good people at London Met and it would be a real tragedy if they had to go in order to tie up loose ends!! a real high price to pay!!
The Indie reported it yesterday
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/london-met-warned-that-it-could-be-closed-1835511.html


Hibs had another good win against a good Motherwell side on Saturday and still doggedly hanging on to 3rd spot ahead of the crunch time over the Festive break!! Hope to see them a couple of times including against the Gers!
Match report below:

Wednesday, December 02, 2009



Southwark News followed up on my Deselection with a piece and printed some letters, one from me:

COUNCILLOR 'ANGRY AND UPSET' AT SHOCK DE-SELECTION AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS' SERVICE

Letters from my friends Ian Driver and Stephen Boyer and of course from me
Pretty much nothing more to be said on the matter!!

Hibs kept the 3rd place spot with a professional if not inspiring 2-0 win over Falkirk, highlights below:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8385400.stm

The Christmas/New Year period is critical for us so we need to keep it up over the next month and see where we are after the New year game with Hearts! Hope to see a couple of games at Easter Road over the holidays including Rangers on the 26th December!