Ours is the greatest Country in the World. Deep down of course I do know that this is not so but it's what I believe and I am proud to be British. Weve given the World many wonderful things such as a language, our culture, the arts and democracy. Weve also given the World a bucket load of things that perhaps we shouldn't be to proud of but, that said, our Nation and the fabric that binds us together is really something special and we are fortunate to be able to say we are British.

From my aforementioned comments you'd be right to conclude I have the little islander mentality and I make no appologise for this view of my own Nation. But, I am not inward thinking, I do understand the new world order and I am not keen to get out of Europe. On the contrary, if things were right and as they should be for me and my Country men and women, Id want to stay in the EU.

But, sadly they are no longer right and to the long term benefit of my Grandchildren and having voted in the last European referendum in the 70's I can say that this union has drifted to a place where I no longer see as a place I am keen to be amongst.

For most people who are described as Euro sceptics, at the very heart of their frustration is the scale and vastness of the influx of millions of people from other EU countries and the cost that this places upon our public services which our Nation paid for and which is now available to anyone who settles here.

In January of 2015 the conundrum of Romania and Bulgaria will be placed upon our doorstep and possibly millions will arrive in search of a better life and our public services will be called upon to care for these people. This is not a difficult economic problem. We cannot afford to care for anymore people who choose to come to our Country.

The public services that we have and we often take completely for granted are there because of the efforts and price paid by our ancestors. These things were not easily won and we should think hard about balancing our desire to be seen as welcoming and our need to care for our own.

The cost to us now is overwhelming and the future cost may mean that our public services will no longer be available because of the huge strains placed upon our economy by the free movement of people who understandably seek a better life.

For me, if there were renogiated conditions which resulted in controlled and capped immigration I'd vote to stay in the Union. However, if as I fear no agreement could be reached then Im for leaving the European Union and regaining control of our own destiny.

The economic problems that would result from our departure from the EU are many but, our trade freedoms would allow us an open door to the emerging markets around the World and we would not be tied by Brussels and their autocratic rules that limit the level of our trading with the emerging markets of the World.

Ive no doubt that to leave would be a huge step to take but I know my Country and I know that our spirit would see us prosper in the future.

How would you use your vote?

This made me smile so I thought I would share it with you all...

I noticed this on the wall next to the bus stop along Abbotsmead Road. I am surprised that nobody else has reported it yet, not sure how long it has been there, maybe it was done at the same time as the welcome to Hereford sign? certainly looks like the same style again

This must of happened last night. This is disgusting and it is clearly now getting worse! The Police need to start patrolling in this area more in order to catch these vandals!

This is both sides of the gates leading onto the Bishops Meadow (Hinton Road). I noticed it this afternoon, again, this looks like same writing to me as the others.

This is a nice welcome sign coming into Hereford. Some sad person has decided to illegally spray the word Poland across the word Hereford on the welcome sign coming into Hereford on the A465 Belmont Road.

(You may have already guessed which road by the amount of traffic in the picture)

If the Council have anything about them they should instruct Amey to remove this immediately or at the very least cover it, so lets see how long this takes them to sort out.

I have reported this directly to Amey who have informed me that several signs were sprayed during the night and that this would be removed as a matter of urgency today.

In The Guardian today Eric Pickles' announces that he is slashing local authority funding by up to 8.8%.

Financially weak councils will go bust and others will be forced to drastically reduce services to cope with cuts to town hall budgets outlined by ministers on Wednesday, local authorities have predicted

The warning came after the government revealed that councils in England would face spending reductions of up to 8.8% from April, with an average cut of 1.7%. The communities secretary, Eric Pickles, described the settlement as fair and said the onus was now on councils to do more to cut costs and pursue "sensible savings" to protect public services.

Following his cut The Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government released today his:

50 ways to save: Examples of sensible savings in local government

I wonder how many of these have been adopted by our council especially as it's the Conservatives in the riding seat, and it is our council tax going up 1.9% from April 2013.

1. Share back office services

2. Community Budgets - Bring staff and money together

3. Use transparency to cut waste

4. Tackle duplicate payments

5. Clamp down on corporate charge cards

6. Special spending controls

7. Tackle fraud

8. Claw back money from benefit cheats

9. Get more for less by improving procurement

10. Buy together

11. Stop the scope for procurement fraud

12. Utilise £16 billion of reserves creatively

13. Improve council tax collection rates

14. Encourage direct debit and e-billing for council tax

15. Close council cash offices

16. Better land and property management

17. Hot-desking, estate rationalisation and sub-letting

18. Open a ‘pop up’ shop in spare office space

19. Close subsidised council canteens

20. Cancel away days in posh hotels and glitzy award ceremonies

21. Open a coffee shop in the library

22. Cut senior pay

23. Share senior staff

24. Scrapping the chief executive post entirely

25. Introduce a recruitment freeze

26. Freeze councillor allowances and end councillor pensions

27. Cut spending on consultants and agency staff

28. End expensive ’leadership’ courses

29. Cut spending on head hunters and expensive adverts

30. Review and reduce absenteeism

31. Scrap trade union posts

32. Charge for collecting trade union subscriptions

33. Stop spending money on commercial lobbyists

34. Stop translating documents into foreign languages

35. Reduce the number of publications and media monitoring

36. Earn more from private advertising

37. Cease funding ‘sock puppets’ and ‘fake charities’

38. Scrap the town hall Pravda

39. Stop providing free food and drink for meetings

40. Reduce first class travel

41. Cut mileage payments

42. Video conference instead of travel

43. Help the voluntary sector save you money

44. Cut printing costs

45. End lifestyle and equality questionnaires

46. Sell services

47. Hire out the town hall

48. Lease works of art not on display

49. Save money on computer software

50. And finally… ask your staff for more sensible savings ideas

To check out the reasoning read the document here:

I was talking with a young guy who cycled into this post and hurt himself the other week. I am surprised that he has not taken legal action for some sort of compensation.

This post is well redundant and seems to serve no purpose, so why is it still there? obviously dangerous in this case...

While I have been out and about, I have noticed that there are lots of dead unsightly posts.

Why is this? is it that Amey or who ever is responsible can't be bothered to remove them or what? I found another here near the top of Newton Farm, on the walkway down towards the school and another one here near the 'hardly ever open waste of money' Newton Farm police station.

I am sure there must be plenty more, feel free to add any that you find, can these be removed at some stage?

In response to the many calls I have received from Colin James about the litter on the Great Western Way and the fly tipping to the rear of Charles Witts Ave in Hunderton, Colin has suggested a 'Big Clean Up Day' 

A meeting has been arranged with all Belmont ward councillors, Bethon Fortey Enforcement officer, Community Protection Team officers and estates Managers of Herefordshire Housing Ltd, this meeting will take place on Thursday 17th March to discuss clean up costs of these areas to enable this big cleanup to commence.

I will keep you advised of the outcome of the meeting.

Please find attached the minutes from the parish council meeting held on 13th September 2012.

September Minutes.pdf

I was walking along the great western way the other night and noticed a fair amount of litter, the whole area is poorly lit at night too and very overgrown in parts, which must be nerving for people walking along there alone. Who is responsible for litter, grass, hedges and lighting etc?

If I ever was appointed to this Office, I'd have a suit of clothes befitting my status as the Watchdog and I'd be found in a small wooden hut at the back of the Town Hall.

My role would be simple and straightforward. To reward good performance and punish those that had underperformed and wasted public funds.

I'd interview all the Council tiers of management. And there's lots and lots of them. To many for my liking. They'd come to my hut and I'd, 'Hello what a lovely day' and I'd reassure them that the huge hyper dermic needle containing a generous dose of Sodium Pentaphol would only be accutely painful for some five minutes.

Then, after delivering this highly effective truth serum and giving the recipient time to become sedated and unable to defy my will, I'd say, 'Is your role within the Council of benefit to the public', to which they'd no doubt say, 'Excellent question. My job is a complete waste of the publics money. Thank you very much.' I'd then say, 'What would a reasonable person do given that you and your job are pointless?. Of course the answer would be, 'Dismiss me straight away and save yourself a lot of time and expense. I'm a complete waste of time if my opinion is worth a jot'

Then after they had recovered I'd give them a slice of Melon and reveal to them the results of my findings informing them that they were sacked.

As for the Waster's of Public Funds and I have in mind the inner circle of the Council Leadership (Note..Not you Glenda and no other Independent Councillor) they of course would enter my hut and I'd say,' You did a wonderful job lasty week when you directed Amey to fill in a pothole'. He or she would of course be pleased and reply, 'Thank you very much. Its nice to know I'm appreciated'. And to reward them for their good work I'd give them a piece of chocolate and point out, 'Isnt chocolate lovely. Its Cadburys you know and if you do well there's plenty more where that came from'.

But then I'd mention the other things. The things that upset us all. The things that require something other than a piece of Cadburys chocolate. Afterall you'd be a fool to give one of our leaders a piece of chocolate if they'd underperformed or wasted our funds.

I'd then say,' you've wasted an awful lot of money recently. The Hereford Sign for example that says 'Here You Can'. He or she would of course understandably argue their point and I of course would be a fool not to hear them out. But then I'd have to punish them for wasting public funds.

I'd then deliver my verdict and punish them by shoving their fingers into a domestic household electric socket.

They of course would then be compelled to ride the lightening bolt and experience 250 volts coarsing through their body. Mind you, it would'nt be anything terminal. Just ten or fifteen seconds of electricity to encourage them not to waste anymore of our cash.

These of course are just ideas. If they dont like chocolate they could have a custard slice or a sweet.

I'm also equally open minded about the electric shock treatment. It could be something less intrusive and frightening such as being hit with an instrument across their toes or fingers.

What you think?

Our Turn Off The Traffic Lights campaign has now been kindly highligted by BBC Hereford and Worcester. I was Interviewed live this morning by Nicola Goodwin, tune in all day long to 94.7 where you will here the whole interview and more...

More details can be found on the BBC Hereford and Worcester website http://www.bbc.co.uk...test-programmes

I have also added the MP3 versions further down in this topic.

I have noticed that St Francis church has been closed for sometime, what is actually happening there does anyone know?

Register For Herefordshire Public Services

https://beta.herefordshire.gov.uk/

There are some very useful links. I will add this site to the sidebar for future use.

Traffic light works in Hereford

4:33pm Friday 16th November 2012 Hereford Times

REFURBISHMENT is to start next week on a set of traffic lights in Hereford.

The overnight work on Eign Street will begin on Monday and will take around six weeks to complete.While the work is being undertaken, temporary traffic lights will be in operation and diversions in place.

(I have reposted this article for megilleland as is was posted it in a seperate topic)

Due to past political social engineering we've all been conditioned to not say anything for fear of being branded a bigot or racist. And now, in homes, pubs, streets, wherever local people gather the one subject that is sure to be muttered is the settlement of the people from East Europe.

For my part, I admire and like these people from Eastern Europe. They are well educated, hard working, they do the jobs we no longer want to do and to an employer, they are very reliable and will work for low wages. Personally speaking, if I'd been born under the fist of grinding poverty and the remaining affects of communism, I'd be doing the same thing. I'd be here in Hereford with my family trying for a better future. Who can blame them?

But of course, for all these positive things, there are consequences and one is there is a growing intolerance and anger toward the East European people and a view by local Herefordians that they are being taken for granted, our Country is being asset stripped and they cannot say anything because they will be branded a bigot. Local people complain that the East European people are taking all the jobs, much of the social housing and we are haemorrhaging vast sums of money every week when our guests send money home to prop up their home economy's.

Our Hereford community is becoming increasingly disconnected from local government and local people feel they have no voice and nowhere to turn to. Personally speaking, I have noticed that this anger is increasing and local people are desperate for change. They feel that their local public services are being swamped and understandably they worry that institutions like the NHS are not going to be there for their grandchildren.

Quite simply, I believe that if we go on not talking about the new reality to our changing society then we are going to meet disaster. Somehow or other we have to talk and be able to discuss this issue without any fear of being branded racists or bigots.

I want readers to offer their views on what we can do, how we can move forward and how we can communicate genuine concerns to local government and to the East European community without there being any hurt on either side of the issues that are sat in front of our community.

More than anything, I want to read constructive comments regarding our future community cohesion rather than mindless ranting and raving.

My forthcoming comments are not intended to hurt the feelings of those Councillors on this site who I am sure are hard working and do their best for their constituents. My view is aimed at the collective who I believe lurch from one badly thought out scheme to another.

I hope that most readers will accept that we, Our home Hereford, is not flourishing and our recession is compounded by the fact that in the past poor decisions were made that has left us with little or no infrastructure.

For my part, I really do resent much of the secrecy that surrounds the decision making of our Council. I feel that the Council are delivering their form of democracy which does not involve our participation.

Despite the Hereford Times repeatedly airing stories regarding the Council doing things secretly, they take absolutely no notice of public objection and simply just carry on.

The reported waste of our funds by the Council is in my view staggering. They recently commissioned at great expense new signs that are intended to announce to the visitor, HERE WE CAN instead of the old signs that simply said, WELCOME TO HEREFORD.

The result was, amongst the cynics which include me, Here we Can what? Have no job. Have no shops. Have no infrastructure. This was a crazy badly thought out gimmick and frankly we have so many problems its pointless for the Council to keep slipping us the public a gimmick. We simply can't afford anymore of this crazy blue sky thinking.

I want the Council to wake up to the new reality. We have no more money to waste and we cannot afford to allow this Council to continue leading us all toward the abyss.

Once again, my views are not intended to offend the Councillors who are members of this forum.

My very warmest regards.