London residents, in common with folk in any major town or city, are used to seeing workmen tearing up roads and footpaths.
They are all too familiar with the scenario of the council laying some nice new road surfacing, only for a gas contractor to tear a large hole in it to upgrade some pipe work. Once the gas has left, a telecoms team will then arrive on scene to tear up that which has just been filled in (or so the story goes).
But this familiar tale has now taken a new turn.
It seemed like business as usual when workmen descended on the streets of Camden recently. Until, that is, it became clear that they were actually a gang of well-organised thieves stealing the York stone paving.
According to the Evening Standard, police and the council are investigating five thefts of York stone at locations around the borough. Camden says the gang use what appear to be official barriers so the works site looks authentic.
That may well be. but I have a friend who used to work as a street works inspector for a large central London borough and appreciate how thorough these folk can be. One can only wonder how this one slipped through Camden’s net.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Monday, 29 November 2010
Boris gets good air
A colleague sent me this and I just had to share it with you. As some of you will know, London Mayor Boris Johnson has launched a bike rental scheme in the capital and here we see the mayor taking one of his trusty steeds for spin.
Sadly, as multi-talented as Mr Johnson may be, his talents do not extend to BMX freestyle. Top marks for his impersonator though, as one imagines these rental bikes are a bit of a pig to handle.
Sadly, as multi-talented as Mr Johnson may be, his talents do not extend to BMX freestyle. Top marks for his impersonator though, as one imagines these rental bikes are a bit of a pig to handle.
Scouting for pearls
At first, I was pleased to read about the modernisation of the Scouting movement.
Apparently, age-old badges for key skills such as camping and knot tying have fallen out of favour in recent years. In their place are badges for things like recycling, which can only be a good thing in this age of Big Society. One presumes that social care, basic highway maintenance and sustainable transport planning will follow shortly.
However, delving a little deeper into this story, I note that the 21st century cub scout can also get a badge for social networking and, even worse, a gong for computer games prowess.
Sensing some criticism from traditionalists, the association said that its review would take into account other factors besides popularity in deciding which badges stay and which go. It added that more popular awards also covered some traditional skills, including rope work.
This is a relief, as I don’t recall chief scout Bear Grylls reaching for the Wii when stuck in the jungle.
Dib dib dib...
Apparently, age-old badges for key skills such as camping and knot tying have fallen out of favour in recent years. In their place are badges for things like recycling, which can only be a good thing in this age of Big Society. One presumes that social care, basic highway maintenance and sustainable transport planning will follow shortly.
However, delving a little deeper into this story, I note that the 21st century cub scout can also get a badge for social networking and, even worse, a gong for computer games prowess.
Sensing some criticism from traditionalists, the association said that its review would take into account other factors besides popularity in deciding which badges stay and which go. It added that more popular awards also covered some traditional skills, including rope work.
This is a relief, as I don’t recall chief scout Bear Grylls reaching for the Wii when stuck in the jungle.
Dib dib dib...
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
And there’s the rub
Stress is part of the job description these days. Negotiations go on behind closed doors, colleagues announce their departure and those remaining fret for their own jobs while wondering how all the work is going to get done.
The public don’t seem to have too much sympathy, though, and it’s hardly surprising. At times of great difficulty and upset for many, you can generally trust someone, somewhere, in local government to perform a public relations faux pas and rub everyone’s noses in it. This time, it appears, Wolverhampton City Council has obliged.
To mark national stress awareness day, the council arranged free given free foot rubs, massages and, er, eyebrow threading for staff. However, some bright spark decided to do this the main civic centre reception so members of the public could see staff getting the treatment while they were queuing for housing benefit.
One member of the public who witnessed the event told the media: ‘I can’t believe they would hold a pampering event for staff. God knows how much it would have cost the council in lost productivity at a time when they are trying to cut back on costs.’ Quite.
Council chief executive Simon Warren agreed and called an immediate halt to the vent and apologised for any ‘insensitivity’ shown to taxpayers. He added that no public funds had been used for the event.
Still, damage done.
The public don’t seem to have too much sympathy, though, and it’s hardly surprising. At times of great difficulty and upset for many, you can generally trust someone, somewhere, in local government to perform a public relations faux pas and rub everyone’s noses in it. This time, it appears, Wolverhampton City Council has obliged.
To mark national stress awareness day, the council arranged free given free foot rubs, massages and, er, eyebrow threading for staff. However, some bright spark decided to do this the main civic centre reception so members of the public could see staff getting the treatment while they were queuing for housing benefit.
One member of the public who witnessed the event told the media: ‘I can’t believe they would hold a pampering event for staff. God knows how much it would have cost the council in lost productivity at a time when they are trying to cut back on costs.’ Quite.
Council chief executive Simon Warren agreed and called an immediate halt to the vent and apologised for any ‘insensitivity’ shown to taxpayers. He added that no public funds had been used for the event.
Still, damage done.
Friday, 29 October 2010
A wave of enthusiasm
The youth parliament descended on Westminster today.
For those of you not in the know (and I was one of them), the UK Youth Parliament ‘enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better’… or so the website says.
This is no doubt an honourable venture. Take one look at our council chamber, and young, vibrant councillors are a bit thin on ground. Where the next generation will come from I don’t know.
On that note, I was delighted to see the youngsters performing a Mexican Wave in the Commons today. A healthy bit of irreverence, perhaps, but it got me thinking about other ‘bonding’ exercises that might help our council meetings go with a bit more, let’s say, zing.
Some mild physical jerks following the lead of Japanese car assembly line workers might be a good place to start.
Even better would be a bit of singsong. I can’t say I favour a tortured rendition of Jerusalem… perhaps something out of Chaz and Dave’s Jamboree Bag.
A boisterous blast of Sideboard Song may just get council business moving that bit more efficiently.
For those of you not in the know (and I was one of them), the UK Youth Parliament ‘enables young people to use their energy and passion to change the world for the better’… or so the website says.
This is no doubt an honourable venture. Take one look at our council chamber, and young, vibrant councillors are a bit thin on ground. Where the next generation will come from I don’t know.
On that note, I was delighted to see the youngsters performing a Mexican Wave in the Commons today. A healthy bit of irreverence, perhaps, but it got me thinking about other ‘bonding’ exercises that might help our council meetings go with a bit more, let’s say, zing.
Some mild physical jerks following the lead of Japanese car assembly line workers might be a good place to start.
Even better would be a bit of singsong. I can’t say I favour a tortured rendition of Jerusalem… perhaps something out of Chaz and Dave’s Jamboree Bag.
A boisterous blast of Sideboard Song may just get council business moving that bit more efficiently.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Adventures in the land of Cod
The infinite variety of place names in the UK always seems to amaze friends and family from overseas. Chapel en le Frith, Fishponds, Abinger Hammer and… er… Assloss… the list goes on.
These, though, are official, accepted names and can be found on maps or via quick flurry on the computer keyboard using Google (other search engines are available).
What about unofficial names, though, that have entered local vocabularies?
National mapping agency the Ordnance Survey and charity the English Project are seeking to create some order here by putting together a directory of these quirky localisms.
The project is designed to celebrate the richness of English language, but also has a practical purpose - to help 999 operators who struggle when callers use names that do not appear on official maps.
Alternative names include:
Bill Lucas, an author and trustee of the English Project, says: ‘We are throwing a very wide net in this national trawl for what we call Location Lingo.
‘Everyone knows the big national nicknames like Pompey for Portsmouth or Auld Reekie for Edinburgh, but we are more interested in the names that are not so well-known and might be used only by a neighbourhood, a village community, a workplace, or even by an extended family or group of friends.’
I grew up in the Midlands and one I always remember was ‘Cod’ for Nuneaton, Warwickshire. This term was generally used by folk from neighbouring Hinckley (over the border in Leicestershire) and, if memory serves, referred to a fish market that used take place in the town. I still hear friends using it today.
For more, see the Location Lingo website.
These, though, are official, accepted names and can be found on maps or via quick flurry on the computer keyboard using Google (other search engines are available).
What about unofficial names, though, that have entered local vocabularies?
National mapping agency the Ordnance Survey and charity the English Project are seeking to create some order here by putting together a directory of these quirky localisms.
The project is designed to celebrate the richness of English language, but also has a practical purpose - to help 999 operators who struggle when callers use names that do not appear on official maps.
Alternative names include:
- Manchester's Wilmslow Road, in Rusholme, known as ‘The Curry Mile’ because of its many Indian restaurants.
- The Festival Leisure Centre in Basildon, Essex, known as ‘Bas Vegas’ for its colourful nightlife and, on a similar theme, the Tameside town of Stalybridge known as ‘StalyVegas’.
- A street in Southampton branded the ‘Mutant Mile’.
- Swindon, in Wiltshire, known as 'Swindump'.
Bill Lucas, an author and trustee of the English Project, says: ‘We are throwing a very wide net in this national trawl for what we call Location Lingo.
‘Everyone knows the big national nicknames like Pompey for Portsmouth or Auld Reekie for Edinburgh, but we are more interested in the names that are not so well-known and might be used only by a neighbourhood, a village community, a workplace, or even by an extended family or group of friends.’
I grew up in the Midlands and one I always remember was ‘Cod’ for Nuneaton, Warwickshire. This term was generally used by folk from neighbouring Hinckley (over the border in Leicestershire) and, if memory serves, referred to a fish market that used take place in the town. I still hear friends using it today.
For more, see the Location Lingo website.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
A hallelujah moment
I bumped into a colleague from environmental services this morning who was very animated about something he’d read… so much so that he sent me the link straight away.
I’d prepared myself to read about a new road sweeper that the council wouldn’t be able to afford but, no, my colleague was excited about chewing gum.
As many of you know, gum is (literally) a dirty word for anyone involved in street cleaning. The stuff plasters the streets of the UK and is unsightly… a streetscene tar spot if you will.
In the past, we’ve provided special gum bins and launched promotion campaigns to stop Joe Public ‘gobbing’ their gum on the pavement. Manufacturers supported responsible disposal and pledged to support work to create a biodegradable alternative… and now that moment has arrived.
Already on sale in the US, it is hoped that Rev7, designed at Bristol University in spearmint and peppermint flavours, will hit UK shops soon.
A biodegradable gum, it has the same taste and texture as normal gum, but is water soluble. Backers claim can be easily removed from clothes using soap and water.
Tests have showed that over 50 per cent can be removed by conventional street cleaning, rather than the specialist rigs currently used by councils.
Any gum washed into the drains will ‘degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials’.
Central to the gum is a less sticky polymer and the good news for councils does not end there. Other future applications could include anti-graffiti paint.
You can read more about Rev7 here
I’d prepared myself to read about a new road sweeper that the council wouldn’t be able to afford but, no, my colleague was excited about chewing gum.
As many of you know, gum is (literally) a dirty word for anyone involved in street cleaning. The stuff plasters the streets of the UK and is unsightly… a streetscene tar spot if you will.
In the past, we’ve provided special gum bins and launched promotion campaigns to stop Joe Public ‘gobbing’ their gum on the pavement. Manufacturers supported responsible disposal and pledged to support work to create a biodegradable alternative… and now that moment has arrived.
Already on sale in the US, it is hoped that Rev7, designed at Bristol University in spearmint and peppermint flavours, will hit UK shops soon.
A biodegradable gum, it has the same taste and texture as normal gum, but is water soluble. Backers claim can be easily removed from clothes using soap and water.
Tests have showed that over 50 per cent can be removed by conventional street cleaning, rather than the specialist rigs currently used by councils.
Any gum washed into the drains will ‘degrade into minerals, biodegradable products and inert materials’.
Central to the gum is a less sticky polymer and the good news for councils does not end there. Other future applications could include anti-graffiti paint.
You can read more about Rev7 here
Friday, 24 September 2010
Do you smell a rat?
Just got back to my desk after a couple of weeks' ‘intensive’ DIY and found this in my inbox. Colleagues have already annotated the image, as you can see, and it’s clearly a fake.
However, in light of the variety of outrageous parking stories that grace the red tops on a weekly basis which turn out to be true, it’s not completely beyond the realms of possibility, is it?
However, in light of the variety of outrageous parking stories that grace the red tops on a weekly basis which turn out to be true, it’s not completely beyond the realms of possibility, is it?
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Keep them hanging on the telephone
I really enjoyed the list of bizarre calls received by council customer services teams issued by the Local Government Association last week.
My favourites of the top ten were all from Surrey:
"Am I allowed to shoot a gun across a public footpath?"
"Am I allowed to roll up a zebra crossing?"
"Can I register the death of a person even though they aren’t dead yet?"
But there’s more… a gentleman from Dumfries was good enough to put a comment on the LocalGov.co.uk website saying that his staff had taken a call from resident who ‘had a goose stuck in their cat flap and wanted to know what to do about it’.(?!)
If you have any other examples of bizarre calls to customer helplines, the folk at LocalGov.co.uk would really like to hear from you. Email them here.
My favourites of the top ten were all from Surrey:
"Am I allowed to shoot a gun across a public footpath?"
"Am I allowed to roll up a zebra crossing?"
"Can I register the death of a person even though they aren’t dead yet?"
But there’s more… a gentleman from Dumfries was good enough to put a comment on the LocalGov.co.uk website saying that his staff had taken a call from resident who ‘had a goose stuck in their cat flap and wanted to know what to do about it’.(?!)
If you have any other examples of bizarre calls to customer helplines, the folk at LocalGov.co.uk would really like to hear from you. Email them here.
Friday, 20 August 2010
Taking a leaf out of Westminster’s book
Westminster has a salutary lesson for all councils this week – make sure you get tough on enforcement in these lean times.The council is naming and shaming the drivers of foreign-registered vehicles, many of them supercars, in an effort to recover some £4M owed in parking fines.
The council claims the owners of Bugattis, Ferraris and Lamborghinis routinely flout parking restrictions because they know officials struggle to trace them in their own countries.
In the past three years, offenders have failed to settle a total of 36,332 parking tickets, leaving the council £3,776,490 out of pocket.
To put all this into context, the owner of a Bugatti Veyron would have spent £1.2M and have failed to pay a £120 fine for parking on a single yellow line outside Selfridges.
The council is calling on the Government to help establish a system of international co-operation to allow local authorities to trace foreign motorists – 80 per cent of whom refuse to pay fines.
Hanging in there for Big Society
As councils up and down try to get to grips with the notion of Big Society, I have this cautionary tale for you from Wiltshire.
Linda Martin, 68, put up hanging baskets around the centre of Wilton, Wiltshire, in an attempt to brighten up the area.
But she was told they must be removed as they breached health and safety rules.
The former town councillor told reporters: ‘I am desperately upset by it. This is a slap across the face. I am supporting David Cameron's Big Society Plan - I am just trying to improve my community.’
Wiltshire County Council said the baskets had been placed at head height and could pose a danger to pedestrians.
However, it would appear that those seeking to brighten up their communities and abide by the Big Society mantra using floral displays have opened a can of worms.
Mrs Martin first began placing floral displays in tubs on the ground in the centre of Wilton, the ancient capital of Wessex, 12 years ago after deciding the market square needed brightening up. Paying for the flowers out of her own pocket she said she received many compliments from locals and visitors.
But she was forced to remove them after the county council said they posed a hazard and could cause people to trip.
Presumably, residents will be able to sweep up as long as they abide by reams of health and safety advice. The more you think about Big Society, the more unrealistic it all seems.
Linda Martin, 68, put up hanging baskets around the centre of Wilton, Wiltshire, in an attempt to brighten up the area.
But she was told they must be removed as they breached health and safety rules.
The former town councillor told reporters: ‘I am desperately upset by it. This is a slap across the face. I am supporting David Cameron's Big Society Plan - I am just trying to improve my community.’
Wiltshire County Council said the baskets had been placed at head height and could pose a danger to pedestrians.
However, it would appear that those seeking to brighten up their communities and abide by the Big Society mantra using floral displays have opened a can of worms.
Mrs Martin first began placing floral displays in tubs on the ground in the centre of Wilton, the ancient capital of Wessex, 12 years ago after deciding the market square needed brightening up. Paying for the flowers out of her own pocket she said she received many compliments from locals and visitors.
But she was forced to remove them after the county council said they posed a hazard and could cause people to trip.
Presumably, residents will be able to sweep up as long as they abide by reams of health and safety advice. The more you think about Big Society, the more unrealistic it all seems.
Who's at the helm?
I’ve worked in local government for more years that I care to remember and the last time funding was tight, teams were rationalised and the organisation was slimmed down. Sure, there was uproar, but we did follow the lead of the private sector and trim our cloth when times were bad.
This time, though, the pinking shears don’t appear to be restricted to the, let’s say, the lower tiers of local government.
If you are to believe what our amply-proportioned communities secretary is saying, top tier management and chief executives are also going to be rationalised when the cuts bite.
Even if Eric Pickles has reined in his controversial address to the LGA conference recently, it’s clear that he wants chief execs of districts and senior management to start sharing. He also wants to clamp down on hefty salaries and ‘golden goodbyes’ as chiefs move around councils offering their wares.
And today he went further still, hinting at plans for US-style, directly elected ‘super mayors’ where the roles of chief exec and leader are combined.
This has all had an interesting effect on the upper echelons at my council - ‘It’s all gone a bit quiet over there’, in fact.
Our leader is what one would call a ‘character’… a vociferous Tory and fan of Pickles (not the sweet kind).
Out chief is a mild-mannered, even-tempered yet astute operator… someone who side-steps minor political bluster and remains focussed on getting things done.
Both would like the other gone, and I know who’d get my vote.
This time, though, the pinking shears don’t appear to be restricted to the, let’s say, the lower tiers of local government.
If you are to believe what our amply-proportioned communities secretary is saying, top tier management and chief executives are also going to be rationalised when the cuts bite.
Even if Eric Pickles has reined in his controversial address to the LGA conference recently, it’s clear that he wants chief execs of districts and senior management to start sharing. He also wants to clamp down on hefty salaries and ‘golden goodbyes’ as chiefs move around councils offering their wares.
And today he went further still, hinting at plans for US-style, directly elected ‘super mayors’ where the roles of chief exec and leader are combined.
This has all had an interesting effect on the upper echelons at my council - ‘It’s all gone a bit quiet over there’, in fact.
Our leader is what one would call a ‘character’… a vociferous Tory and fan of Pickles (not the sweet kind).
Out chief is a mild-mannered, even-tempered yet astute operator… someone who side-steps minor political bluster and remains focussed on getting things done.
Both would like the other gone, and I know who’d get my vote.
Jumping on an opportunity
I was sent something by a colleague this week, which I felt the need to share with you…
Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted that he is ‘terrified’ by the prospect of trying to find a good state secondary school for his children in central London.
However, an opportunist press release from Westminster City Council said it would be ‘delighted’ if the PM, his wife Samantha and their children would visit their local secondary schools to see the ‘exciting curriculum and opportunities available to pupils’ (If only local government could always be this nimble).
In a letter to Mr Cameron, quoted in the release, Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster's cabinet member for children and young people, said: ‘I was sorry to read of your concerns regarding central London secondary schools in a recent newspaper interview.
‘I would like to assure you that Westminster has a number of outstanding primary and secondary schools. This is not merely in our parents’ and pupils’ opinion, but officially recognised by Ofsted.
‘We acknowledge that there is still room for improvement and will continue to build on our success to date.’
Hats off to the Westminster PR team, then (my colleague informs me that it wins lots of awards), although I’m not sure whether its efforts redressed any balance in the media.
As apolitical as I am these days, I guess this says more about our PM.
Prime Minister David Cameron has admitted that he is ‘terrified’ by the prospect of trying to find a good state secondary school for his children in central London.
However, an opportunist press release from Westminster City Council said it would be ‘delighted’ if the PM, his wife Samantha and their children would visit their local secondary schools to see the ‘exciting curriculum and opportunities available to pupils’ (If only local government could always be this nimble).
In a letter to Mr Cameron, quoted in the release, Cllr Nickie Aiken, Westminster's cabinet member for children and young people, said: ‘I was sorry to read of your concerns regarding central London secondary schools in a recent newspaper interview.
‘I would like to assure you that Westminster has a number of outstanding primary and secondary schools. This is not merely in our parents’ and pupils’ opinion, but officially recognised by Ofsted.
‘We acknowledge that there is still room for improvement and will continue to build on our success to date.’
Hats off to the Westminster PR team, then (my colleague informs me that it wins lots of awards), although I’m not sure whether its efforts redressed any balance in the media.
As apolitical as I am these days, I guess this says more about our PM.
Your advice please
Mrs Horace and I have been on our holidays.
We had thought about cancelling the trip, given that the outlook for my local government career is, at best, uncertain, but we decided to go nonetheless and escape the gloom of the UK.
What we didn’t reckon upon was that Greece would be even deeper in the mire than the UK, and that our trip would be punctuated with little ‘challenges’ such as striking ferry crews.
Like us, the situation in Greece doesn’t seem to be just about cuts, and the working population is now battling with the notion of increased taxes and pay freezes in the public sector.
Echoes of home, then, but nothing would prepare me for what I came back to (not the football… that was hardly a surprise.)
No, I’m talking about the letter from Nick Clegg and David Cameron asking for ideas on how to trim down the public sector.
Call me cynical, but isn’t this a case of asking turkeys to vote for Christmas?
I suppose the department for administrative administrations (universal services) would be at the top of most cuts lists, and, if I’m honest, I suppose a separate department isn’t really needed to monitor the council’s every buying decision.
But while I may reluctantly acknowledge the fat of my department, I think my reply to the Cleggameron will be that hefty local government cuts, particularly up here in the North, mean you are cutting to the region’s biggest employer.
Now what was all that stuff about local government helping to generate and support vibrant local economies?
We had thought about cancelling the trip, given that the outlook for my local government career is, at best, uncertain, but we decided to go nonetheless and escape the gloom of the UK.
What we didn’t reckon upon was that Greece would be even deeper in the mire than the UK, and that our trip would be punctuated with little ‘challenges’ such as striking ferry crews.
Like us, the situation in Greece doesn’t seem to be just about cuts, and the working population is now battling with the notion of increased taxes and pay freezes in the public sector.
Echoes of home, then, but nothing would prepare me for what I came back to (not the football… that was hardly a surprise.)
No, I’m talking about the letter from Nick Clegg and David Cameron asking for ideas on how to trim down the public sector.
Call me cynical, but isn’t this a case of asking turkeys to vote for Christmas?
I suppose the department for administrative administrations (universal services) would be at the top of most cuts lists, and, if I’m honest, I suppose a separate department isn’t really needed to monitor the council’s every buying decision.
But while I may reluctantly acknowledge the fat of my department, I think my reply to the Cleggameron will be that hefty local government cuts, particularly up here in the North, mean you are cutting to the region’s biggest employer.
Now what was all that stuff about local government helping to generate and support vibrant local economies?
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