Your editor is writing this from an island surrounded by nearly a metre of water, somewhere on Horsington Marsh. He has no plans to travel, as the BBC, perplexingly, has not called him up to London for an interview. Just as well, as Templecombe is closed, and there are widespread road closures due to flooding. Check out the Travel News link on Blogroll bfore you go anywhere.
Category: News
News and events in the Horsington area
Independent Sue Mountstevens is the new police commissioner
The Blog predicted that independent Police Commissioner candidate Sue Mountstevens “could spring a surprise if the going improves”, and lo and behold, she romped home by a convincing margin to beat the other candidates from the main political parties.
The Blog congratulates her, and wishes her well in her term of office. She has a difficult job to do.
Horsington electors who are unhappy with the result might reflect that at a few minutes to closing time, only 80 electors had bothered to cast their votes at the village hall.
Work starts on Church roof – but funds are still needed
Work will start this week on the restoration of the roof of parish church of St John the Baptist, Horsington.
Money is still needed for the restoration fund.
Many people who were at the Jubiliee lunch and who were featured in the video have still not bought a copy in aid of the roof fund. If you would like a copy of this historic, once in a lifetime memory capsule, please contact the editor – editor@idnet.com
The video features just about everyone who was there, and costs £10.00. There are two bonus tracks. More stories:
Should Blog editor apply for BBC D-G position?
The embattled BBC spent hundreds of thousands of your pounds on headhunters to recruit the last D-G, George Entwistle, who has departed after just 40 days.
They could save licence-payers the same again by appointing the editor of the Horsington Blog as the Director General. It would be nice to do something useful, and the money would come in handy.
Here’s my list of priorities.
De-layer the management. It has long been held that the BBC exists to create meaningless jobs for gobbledegook-spouting lefty middle managers. Let’s get rid of a few layers and see if it makes a difference. If the man on the Clapham omnibus doesn’t understand a BBC job title –out!
Sell off BBC 2 and 3, Radios 1 and ,2, halve the website. Use the money to improve programme quality (especially sport) and slash the licence fee.
Light a bonfire under the news. Ensure political neutrality, ban political correctness, nannyism, boring pressure group spokesmen and reporting on events before they happen. Give Humphrys a final warning on interrupting (and that Montagu woman too).
Eradicate nepotism, cronyism, luvvyism and swearing.
Ban the phrases “stepping aside”, “going forward”, “platform”, “genre” and other meaningless twaddle. “Showcase” is not a verb.
Appoint a new BBC trust. Elections anyone?
It is surely only a matter of time before they contact me for interview, but I must make it clear from the outset that I will not move to Manchester. Horsington is so much better!
A man called Neil Turner has created a Government e-petition to hold a referendum to scrap the TV licence fee. You can sign the petition here
If you would like to influence the editor’s first 100 days at the Beeb, please send in a comment.
Runners in the Police and Crime Commissioner stakes – November 15th
On 15th November you will be asked to vote for the person you would like to become the area’s first Police and crime Commissioner (PCC).
Three party hacks and an independent take to the track to fight it out for an £85,000 annual prize. The Blog’s racing correspondent Gordon O’Blimey gives us the lowdown on the runners and riders:
Pete Levy – Lib Dem. Ex-Wiltshire Constabulary officer and military policeman. He has promised to do 10 impossible things on his first day, but that could be a drafting error. Blog odds – 16-1 (Too much baggage, and unlikely to jump well).
Ken Maddock – Conservative. Ex leader of Somerset County Council. He only has three priorities, but they cover just about everything. Blog odds 7/2 (A fast, slick runner, with plenty of experience, but haven’t we had enough of him?)
Sue Mountstevens – Independent. Businesswoman, magistrate and police authority member. Just four priorities and no party politics. Blog odds 12-1 (A useful filly who has performed well on smaller courses and could spring a surprise if the going improves).
John Savage – Labour. Very worthy. A doctor and CBE. Serious quango and public body man. Only four priorities, but one is the “development of a long term strategic vision….” He’s had enough time to do that before the election. Blog odds 25-1 (Unlikely to suit this course and going)
Vote at the village hall until 10 pm
Blog saves you £55 and a trip to London
The Shard at London Bridge is Europe’s tallest building, towering 1016 feet above the city skyline.
The entry fee is £10.00 and it will cost you around £45 per person for a trip to London , plus travel cards, meals etc, so you are looking at £75.00 if you want to enjoy the view from the top of this new landmark.
Thanks to the Blog, you can enjoy this spectacular view for NOTHING.
Click here, wait a few moments, then follow the instructions. Enjoy.
Condolences
The Blog was sad to learn of the recent deaths of Sue Howell whose funeral will be at Horsington Church on Monday 29th October at 1200 and Rosemary Hitchman whose service will be held at Yeovil Crematorium at 3pm on 22nd October, both after brave battles with cancer. We send our condolences to their families.
If anyone would like to write an appreciation of their lives, we would be happy to publish them. Please email the editor – editor@idnet.com
Stop unwanted phone calls
Readers may be interested in a site to stop unwanted phone calls, writes Robin Worsley. See www.cprcallblocker.com – It works for him- probably there are others. A real nifty idea.
Parish Council discusses Templecombe development
Outline planning permission is being sought for a 100- unit housing estate with associated retail unit, employment area, community building, area for potential school expansion, public open space, allotments, together with new access, at Slades Hill, Templecombe, near the border with Horsington.
The 6.57 hectare site (16 and a quarter acres) lies to the east of the A 357 at Slades Hill, and surrounds an existing housing development, Blackmoor Vale Close. The site also borders the Thales site and the School.
The council’s website has plenty of objections, which may be summarised as “Templecombe does not need this development, it will alter the character of the village considerably, and there are plenty of other similar developments in Wincanton, Sherborne and Yeovil”
The proposed development has been on the cards for some 10 years, and a previous application in 2005 was withdrawn.
Horsington Parish Council discussed it at the last meeting on Thursday 13 September, and it will be interesting to hear what they said.
The Blog gives the scheme a resounding “NO”.
We understand the Horsington Parish Council also dislikes the proposal, and is sending a couple of representatives as observers to a meeting with planning officers to discuss the scheme. We will keep you informed -Ed
Stop Press: The Templecombe protesters website is www.sladeshilldevelopment.co.uk
Silton wind farm back on the agenda
Actually, it never went away. The public enquiry resumes on 18 September at Sturminster Newton at 9.30 am.
You can catch up on the latest development and arguements here