tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33079448870940171522008-08-21T09:14:00.696ZAnne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-16729012148775626922008-08-21T07:17:00.006Z2008-08-21T09:14:00.710Z

Too much going on...and no time to write about it! Apologies to regular readers. The summer is always a busy time but this one has been exceptional. Not least because of the increasing activity of the various organizations with which I am involved. The Senior Council is now fully established and up and running. The Newton Abbot area branch of which I am secretary has been the most active in

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-27406413904632962452008-05-23T20:51:00.002Z2008-05-23T21:54:31.706Z

May 2008 will go down in the history books as a very special month. Local election results to die for and Boris elected as Mayor of London. And as if that was not enough, Crewe falling to the Conservatives by a landslide majority - a first in 30 years. I have had so many telephone calls of congratulations and sheer relief that things are changing. We have two years to go until the next

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-25436204412263585692008-03-24T16:34:00.002Z2008-03-24T18:19:41.254Z

I am looking forward to the longer evenings...and some better weather! Walking the dogs every morning is a very muddy and slippery affair. The day of the storms which saw Teignmouth flooded was quite exceptional. I walked around Newton Abbot to see just how high the river would rise that morning and was staggered. Flood defenses must become more of a priority for the council - things are

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-40513132924047470062008-02-10T10:08:00.000Z2008-02-10T20:04:48.654Z

The daffodils are coming through and Spring seems to be well on the way - for most of us. For Gordon Brown it must seem like perpetual winter. The economy goes from bad to worse and rising prices and the credit crunch are hitting us all. Food and energy prices keep going up but with no knock on benefit for farmers. And the spotlight has for some time been on the woeful shortcomings of politicians

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-25835180534630394502007-12-26T17:23:00.000Z2007-12-26T19:10:21.415Z

It's Boxing Day - not exactly "deep and crisp and even" but rather warm and damp with beautiful winter sunshine. And that was just what was needed for the traditional Boxing Day dip by the pier in Teignmouth. I sponsored rather than "dipped" but it was great spectator sport and a great way of raising money for the RNLI. On then to Shaldon for the annual three-legged race - or should we say "

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-2469705285539326912007-11-29T11:15:00.000Z2007-11-29T13:02:23.092Z

November is a time to remember. The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is a time to remember what so many others have done for so many of us. I was very moved to see so many with me at the three Remembrance Day services I attended in Newton Abbot, Dawlish and Shaldon. I laid a wreath with great pride. Perhaps best of all was the sight of so many young people and young families. We

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-5441723151878804452007-10-16T07:41:00.000Z2007-10-16T08:16:12.772Z

Not for a long time has politics been so much in the eye of the media, nor has it been so volatile. Ming Campbell's decision to resign as leader of the Liberal Democrats last night was yet another momentous change which will no doubt send the polls into flat spin again with Nick Clegg the front runner to succeed him. This will leave Brown even more exposed as the old man of politics...and these

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-63238029456597750302007-09-30T20:25:00.000Z2007-09-30T21:48:42.804Z

Well it looks like it just might happen. Gordon Brown has kept us on our toes for weeks and now he may be hoist with his own petard. He needs to call an election this coming week - or call it all off and live with the roller coaster of a recession which seems to be fast approaching. And this time Gordon cannot blame anyone else. And if he goes to the country he will find that 11 point lead

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-41798999864542857922007-09-09T18:06:00.000Z2007-09-09T19:10:28.186Z

If there were ever any doubt, I think it is now clear that the Brown "bubble" has burst. The papers today are full of the news of our financial woes - something for which Gordon can blame no-one else. If you have a mortgage, as I do, the financial burden is getting more and more painful. Even though there seems to be a move to reduce our forces in Iraq and an outside chance that Gordon may

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-67919601259258822212007-09-02T11:21:00.000Z2007-09-02T13:05:31.026Z

Prison officers on strike, nurses walking out of a mental health hospital - are we in for a winter of discontent? Those working in public services feel unloved and unappreciated. Given how much money has been pumped into public services this is surprising. Too much money has been spent on target setting and the administration required to measure compliance - what we need is money redirected

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-73454919232338288132007-08-27T09:30:00.000Z2007-08-27T12:17:26.655Z

Well my last blog created a great deal of interest! The bypass is a critical issue - and clearly not so much of a done deal as its advocates would have us believe if an item on my blog can undo "cross-party" support for it - or so the Herald Express would have us believe. The Herald Express has long been an advocate for the bypass and the coverage is therefore by no means surprising. But no, I

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-29720405848173804222007-08-15T12:48:00.000Z2007-08-15T15:33:55.179Z

So we had the floods - now we have foot and mouth. Thankfully not in the West country but the very fact that there has been a new outbreak has seriously impacted our local farmers, butchers, market traders and others. Walking through the market in Newton Abbot and speaking to local farmers, the picture is bleak. One farmer who specialises in sausages told me he had just two days left before he

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-59919954618299293072007-07-30T13:43:00.000Z2007-07-30T14:43:00.111Z

The sycophantic and uncritical British Press claim Brown's first month in office has been a real baptism of fire - really? Where is the fire. Two unsuccessful terrorist attacks and a lot of heavy rain. My sympathies are with those affected by serious flood damage - but surely they should be asking why when as Chancellor Gordon could have prevented much of the damage by freeing up money to

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-26658161856297274462007-07-16T19:29:00.000Z2007-07-16T20:33:25.478Z

Anyone who has moved house in the last year will I hope sympathise and relate to my over long silence! They say it is one of the most stressful things to do - and that is before the battle with the various utilities, BT etc. Last time I moved it took three months before broadband was up and running - so a couple of weeks is pretty good! So much for the improvements in communication the hi-tec

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-32196286495589708192007-06-24T13:37:00.000Z2007-06-24T14:33:26.879Z

Garden grabbing - a good or a bad? In my view an entirely undesirable development following the Labour Government's decision to class gardens as Brownfield development sites. And we have seen the consequences. In Teignmouth we have seen the loss of many of our lovely Edwardian and Victorian villas, picked off by developers who look for large houses with substantial gardens which are not in a

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-86642442521445333162007-06-23T10:50:00.000Z2007-06-23T12:36:58.164Z

In 1975, politicians of all parties urged the UK electorate during the referendum campaign to support the continuing membership of the "Common Market" which stood explicitly for "free and undistorted competition". It now seems likely that the misleadingly titled "reform treaty", more accurately and honestly described as "the EU Constitution", will drop any reference whatsoever to free and

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-71707828622641432752007-06-11T21:04:00.000Z2007-06-11T22:17:48.446Z

Shopmobility is one of our most valuable charities providing vital support to the elderly and less able. The Newton Abbot Shopmobility found itself in trouble - the end of lottery funding at the end of June will mean the end of the current level of service to residents. While Teignbridge District Council have provided some funding it is not enough. Unless Devon County Council or private donors

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-59406659440869053962007-06-02T15:27:00.000Z2007-06-02T16:33:12.585Z

The end of May and a remarkable Monday bank holiday - no rain! Shaldon held its long established Fair at which the May Queen for the year was crowned - alongside her princesses. She looked radiant and carried off her first official duties with great poise awarding prizes in a painting competition. Traditional stalls - and of course the cakes! - brought out many villagers and the Green was packed.

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-59178355461140837912007-05-27T20:02:00.000Z2007-05-27T20:47:57.612Z

I have read and re-read The Mid Devon Advertiser, The Teignmouth Post and the Herald Express and I still can't believe the madness of our newly elected Liberal Democrat led Teignbridge Council. 1. Front page news - the days of maggot filled bins are over - but only if you are one of the 8,000 pilot households for the new weekly collections - which may not be permanent. And how is this going to

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-71819403769211051902007-05-19T15:54:00.000Z2007-05-19T17:28:21.984Z

What a fabulous event the Devon County Show is. It is quite wonderful to see such a huge variety of livestock all in beautiful condition. Being able to go behind the scenes so to speak and see how a cow is prepared for showing is fascinating. The show jumping events always have me gripped - something I used to do in a minor way when I was much younger (and I have the broken tooth to prove it!).

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-32957266200689873852007-05-13T14:06:00.000Z2007-05-13T14:45:09.557Z

Total exhaustion had set in and it took a few days to get back the energy spent on the elections. I am now however well stuck in to a round of debriefing meetings and capturing the feedback from each branch. There are always valuable lessons to learn which need to be identified and acted on. My Campaign Group met for the second time to look at the election results and lessons across the whole

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-5551076108970806252007-05-06T16:12:00.000Z2007-05-06T17:11:14.821Z

A very busy week which was hugely successful. Following the last election four years ago we held 14 seats on Teignbridge District Council. During the last administration two independents crossed the floor to join us taking us to 16. We won four seats from the Liberal Democrats on Thursday last week and lost one to them in return. This takes us to 19 seats as against their 21. The second seat

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-41737646059539587932007-04-29T07:23:00.000Z2007-04-29T07:50:46.758Z

A very very busy week! My feet and my knees know I have been out canvassing at least three times every day. Second leaflet drops are now in progress and to this we have added a copy of a letter from our group leader in the council, Stuart Barker, on maggots and bin collection which appeared in the Daily Telegraph last week. The fund raising continues with a number of events including a coffee

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-24950412128104788462007-04-23T14:17:00.000Z2007-04-23T15:35:01.409Z

A very busy week! Monday and Wednesday were spent in Bishopsteignton and Kingsteignton, Tuesday and Thursday in Dawlish and Newton Abbot. Some of this time was spent canvassing and delivering leaflets and some of it progressing our constituency plans and preparing for David Cameron's visit. Friday morning was spent walking around Daccombe, Haccombe and Combeinteignhead finishing off leaflet

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3307944887094017152.post-4905785499914811022007-04-15T15:22:00.000Z2007-04-15T15:51:40.481Z

Great weather but hard going underfoot, especially if you are racing. The Point-to-Point at Ideford Arch was great fun on Easter Monday - and we had a good turnout to watch the races. But the ground was hard going for the horses. Most impressive perhaps were the young rider and pony events - boy do those ponies move! The week has been spent primarily on foot canvassing and delivering leaflets

Anne Mariehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04259167038995058454noreply@blogger.com