bloomingyeovil

It makes a change to sit here, looking out on a sunny day, the garden’s looking dry, we could do with a little rain, — “Only Joking”–

I’ve just had my porridge and I am now sipping my cup of tea before setting out on s busy day, first I am taking the boss to Clarks Village at Street, then in the afternoon we descend on Yeovil Town centre, with our little trip looming and me getting thinner new clothes are needed for me, and although she will not accept it, the wife as well, my diet is having a knock on effect, she is also losing weight, but being a woman she will not believe it as I am telling her so.

Later today we have the annual CIVIC SERVICE for the Town Council, this will happen at 4pm in St John’s Church, all are welcome to attend as this is the event that the councillors swear to do their duty and behave themselves.

All the coming week and weekend you will see activity around the town, getting it ready for the South West In Bloom Judging that will happen on the 12^th of July in the morning. I do hope we will be able to keep the town clean and tidy for the judging day, we will be relying on everyone being vigilant; and tidy; with their rubbish, “PLEASE” if you are reading this “FIND A BIN TO PUT IT IN” and “DON’T” throw it on the floor for someone else to pick up. The SSDC horticultural team have done a grand job with the flower displays again this year and I hope I speak for everyone in Yeovil when I say a Big Thank You for all your efforts, but please remember that the flowers are only a part of the judging on the day, the judges are looking for Pride of Place, cleanliness, neighbourhood participation and general overall involvement of the people of our town, in the past this has been very sound, you only have to visit places like Kenmore Drive, to see true Pride of Place.

That’s all for now as the Boss is champing at the bit to go out so I must be a dutiful husband and OBEY the call.

Thank you for reading, and please feel free to leave comments if you have something to say on anything written here.

Well it’s been a week of learning, and my brain is not set up for all that knowledge; Ouch.

On Wednesday I was at the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) conference in Bristol and on Saturday I was in Clifton for another conference, this time with the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC)

Wednesday was networking opportunity with councils from far and wide in attendance; the conference was a chance to see colleges from other authorities that we have had dealing with before, and to make new friends in authorities we have not yet had the pleasure to deal with. That said there was a serious side to the conference as well as it is an opportunity to learn new things, this year it’s all about the Localism Bill, that is a mine field in the making, but they say the devil is in the detail and the act is in the House of Lords for its second reading at the moment, so if approved then the details will be applied and we will then have something we will better understand and hopefully be able to work with. The principles good but will it ever work. WATCH THIS SPACE.

On Saturday I went to Clifton, over the bridge, twice, 50p each time, lovely view. This conference was different, it was a political conference for the Liberal Democrats, again it was a networking opportunity and a learning place but this time we were all of the same party. We even had Nick Clegg MP (Deputy Prime Minister) and Richard Kemp CBE, there to talk to us, and I have to say he was interesting and worth listening to. There was a lot about the Localism Bill again as it is the subject of the moment. As you expect with Lib-Dems there were lots about Green Environmental issues, my poor little brain cell was working overtime, I must try and get another one from somewhere.

Below is Engineers House in Clifton

If you have not heard of the Localism Bill before, there are some key provisions like:

• A General Power of Competence
• Community right to challenge
• Community right to buy
• Neighbourhood plans
• The standards board regime
• The ‘predomination’ rule
• Local referendums
• Elected Mayors

These are the basics that are going forward at the moment, how it will be delivered will be in the detail, which has not yet been written.

Caught up with some old friends this week, at Cadbury House, what a good day, it was a very posh place to have the award ceremony. There were councils from all over, and there were Councillors from the Professional Btec course I did (and passed). Some of the councillors were not re-elected but as the presentation was part of the package we paid for from day one of the course, all had the opportunity to come along and celebrate our success.

There were Councillors from Bath & NE Somerset Council, Devon County Council, Dorset County Council, West Dorset District Council & from South Somerset District Council. All of these councils think enough of their councillors to have them trained, so they can offer a higher standard in the role as a councillor.

Council’s obtaining the Charter for Members Development on the day were; Mid Devon District Council, Mendip District Council, Exeter City Council and the Forest of Dean District Council. Torbay Council was awarded the Charter Plus, which is an upgrade to the Charter showing their continued support to their members.

The Key note speaker was very good; it was Rob Whiteman from the Local Government Improvement & Development. He spoke about the big society and how the neighbourhoods and communities will be able to shape thing in the future, but he did not tell us how or most important how we were to get past the “Guidance” from HMG that is considered law for so many planning authorities. I will watch this space with interest to see what come next. I have two conferences to go to next week; it will be interesting to see if I can find out more on the matter at them.   

On a different note; it was real good to see the summer bedding out together with the bedroom furniture from The Old Creamery, ( www.oldcreameryfurniture.com )  this was specially made for us and it looks good, Thank you “The Old Creamery Furniture” Without our sponsors Yeovil would not look so nice. You will be please to know it is not real furniture but specially commissioned dummy pieces for show only, so please don’t think you can get a new bed or cupboards for free.  Yeovil in Bloom has done it first, our designer and horticultural team ROCKs.  The big planters and hanging baskets go out in the next week or so, I’ve seen them in the nursery and they look great.

On a completely Daft Note.

Lunch Anyone

As I sit here AGAIN looking out on a wet Sunday morning, Golf has been abandoned because it RAINING and I am a fine weather golfer.

This week has been eventful, it started wet and guess what it is finishing on the same note “WET”, don’t you just love English summers. Monday was a bank holiday so rain was expected; we can’t have a day off work without the weather to go with it. We went back to work on Tuesday and the sun came out and stayed out for the whole working week, while I was stuck in a warehouse with no windows, typical.

Thursday saw the arrival of the Twinning association from Herblay, ( http://www.yeovil-twinning.co.uk/herblay/index.html )  they arrived at 4 to 4:30 pm, we were expecting them from 4:30 to 5pm so we were a little surprised to find them settled into the Red House enjoying a cold one, After tidying up the house for a week and stocking up on nice food, I learnt that my guest had not made the journey as she was poorly, my wife was disappointed and relieved at the same time as she cannot speak a word of French, this was to be our first hosting and we didn’t know what to expect, but now we get to eat all the food and the cleaning is already done. “Party on Dude”.

Friday we ( the Twinning Association in Yeovil,  http://www.yeovil-twinning.co.uk ) took our guests to Weymouth and Portland, in Weymouth we had a presentation from the Olympic team about the progress made so far regarding the 2012 games, the new road is now open making getting there a lot easier, and the sun shone all day. We were to met the Portland Town Crier at Portland Heights but he didn’t turn up, so we did our own thing, the view from the war memorial looking over Weymouth and the Chisel Bank was spectacular and it was loved by everyone, we went on to Portland Bill for a walkabout and an ice-cream in the sunshine, it was great to wander about without a care in the world, forgetting the hurly-burly we had left at home, and even better I was not the designated drive, we were all on a South West Coach, We  got back to Yeovil around 6pm just in time to collect the boss from work, giving us about one and a half hours to get ready for the get together at Grahams house where he had a marquee set up for a bit of a do, we all had to bring so food, my contribution was Cheese’s from Somerset, we all had to bring something different, and what a spread we had,  it was great, the food was excellent the company was excellent and the venue was JUST THE JOB, Thank you Graham and Heather, without you it couldn’t of happened. A great night of socialising and party game followed, did I say it was Great — It was, even the Mayor of Yeovil came, he’s always welcome.

Saturday saw us going to the Royal Bath & West Show, and the sun shone all day for us. The last time I went to the Royal Bath & West I was pushing a pushchair some 30 years ago. Thing don’t change much, there were still animals and tractors in large numbers, there were thousands of people making moving around difficult, but the good weather gave an old man lots of scantily dressed females to look at, I know I’m married I shouldn’t be looking, but there were so many of them you had no choice. Once again we went on a South West Coach, the drive there was uneventful except for a fox that decided to race us in the road, we won and the fox dived for cover in the hedge. It never ceases to amaze me what you can see from a coach, you sit so much higher up and you can see over hedges and stuff, none of what I say could be seen from a car, even though there has not been too much rain it is still a Green and Pleasant Land.

Our French visitors left for the ferry today, it was only a short visit, but that was of their choice, I think they enjoyed themselves, I certainly got that impression, There is an outward Twinning trip very soon, to Samarate ( http://www.yeovil-twinning.co.uk/samarate/index.html ), That will be fun for those that are going, not me sadly as I have to work.

In July we see the Germans from Taunusstein, ( http://www.yeovil-twinning.co.uk/taunusstein/index.html ) I am not sure what we have planned for them yet but it will a lot of fun, and I am have time off work to be with them for as much as I can, my wife and I are not hosting, but we will join in with as much as we can, the boss will be at work during the day so I can do what I like “Whoopee”.

On a sad note: some thieving “low life” has stolen the bedding plants from my front garden, how low some people can go, I hope they have something they have put a lot of time and effort into, goes missing. You know how I feel I will say no more.

With the elections over the business of government begins, The Town Council has had it’s first meeting and the Mayor together with the committee structure is set up for the coming year, the District Council also had it’s first meeting they elected the Leader together with their committee structure. The serious side of being a councillor has started in earnest with lot’s training for everyone, except those that believe they don’t need training, it is a shame that some people think they are so much better than the rest of us. Time will tell.

Bank Holiday Monday see’s the Country Fayre at Nine Springs, a great day out for the children, and the Mum’s and Dad’s. The most important thing is that it is free for all. The event is around thew swimming pool, but goes along Nine Springs and into the woods.

Yeovil’s flower beds are being planted up with the summer bedding, the Church Yard is first, with planting radiating out from there. Some of the floral displays will be head turners, with some real innovative designs on display. The horticultural team have been hard at work for months growing the plants we will see in our flower beds, as summer approaches Yeovil will start to look like it should, with the last thing to go out will be the Baskets and Troughs.

Yeovil is twinned with three towns in Europe, Next weekend the French arrive from Herlbay, the Twinning Association has a busy schedule planned for them, taking in Weymouth, Portland also to The Bath & West Show, I hope the weather is kind, as I am taking a day off work to spend time with then, and for the first time my wife and I will be hosting, we have a French Lady staying with us, I hope my school boy French will be enough to get by. The French Twinners arrive by coach, and to our surprise they leave Sunday morning at 4:40am, is that an early start, or what. I hope we all wake up in time to meet the coach.

Thousands of bulbs and polyanthus from Yeovil’s award-winning floral displays have been given away for free, for many years now
the same give away has taken place. “Yeovil In Bloom” would rather the residents of Yeovil had some nice flowers than to just compost them, the gain
from compost is short lived but the gain from re-cycling the flowers is long lived.

South Somerset District Council, which creates and maintains the displays on behalf of Yeovil Town Council, Yeovil in Bloom initiative,
invited people to the giveaway at St John’s Churchyard. People were encouraged to bring a carrier bag to fill with Polyanthus and Tulip bulbs.

Last year thousands of bulbs and plants were collected by eager green-fingered residents within the first hour, and the district
council’s teams had given away all of the plants by 10.30am. It is the fourth year of the bulb giveaway.

“One of the responsibilities of our Horticulture Team is to keep the district looking good.
We rotate our wonderful floral displays on a seasonal basis so it’s nice to be able offer local people the chance to have some of last season’s bulbs.”

As I sit here looking out on a wet windy Saturday, I am enjoying a restful day, well so far anyway, just had bacon and egg for breakfast, (what diet), “I’ll walk it off later”. I hope the rain stops soon; it’s the Town Criers competition today.

Following the past weeks of rushing around with the elections, we have now settled in a quiet time, time to reflect and take stock. The elections are over, there has been winners and losers, some happy some sad. There are a lot of new faces on the town council this quadrennium, this is due to members retiring, there are now have 23 Lib-Dems and one Green  that is a change, that one more Lib-Dem than before, the two communists have gone, their policy’s could  not have been to the voters liking.

Our Town Councillors are now: –

 It looks like the rain may have stopped, that is good as I have to walk into town soon, I must take my camera, with all these costumes around there should be some nice opportunities for photo’s and I don’t need to much of an excuse to get it out, “my camera I mean”.

The garden needed the rain, there will be a lot of happy farmers and gardeners today after a good soaking overnight, now the ground is wet we need  steady rain for a day or too, to allow the rain to soak in and not just run off and down the drain. Everything looks so much greener today, but that is what a little rain does, after a long dry spell.

  The District Council is clearing the winter bedding, it is such a shame to see the flowers ripped up but, the ground need time to rest before the summer bedding goes in, the flowers put on such a wonderful display, it is a show not to be missed, and Yeovil is well known for its floral displays.

Welcome to  Blooming Yeovil. This is my first ever Blog so please be gentle with me.

Oh Ah - Oh Ah - Hear all about it

Did you know that in Yeovil on saturday we are hosting the Town Criers Competition, with all the rassle dassle and load voices that, that brings, the weather looks as if it will stay fair, at least for the first part and if we are lucky the afternoon as well. Come and see us in all our glory and volume.

If you have no idea what Yeovil is about Visit www.yeoviltown.com there are links to allsorts and some of it is even interesting. We even have a football team.

The link on the left to the Yeovil in Bloom Video is well worth a press, it is an 8 minute video with some well known local people in it.