Madame Overall’s Acorn Antiques – 16 July 2012 – A Tale of Two Cities

ACORN ANTIQUES OF ANSTON – 16 JULY 2012
PARISH COUNCIL MEETING

A Tale of Two Cities
(Well –  Anston Nord et Sud)

Après La Fete National   (Bastille Day 14 July)
Aujourd’hui   –  We are mopping up (today)
Lots of blood and gore ici

FOUNTAIN:
A member of the public asked:
Why is this fountain, in the cemetery, not operational.
It is disintegrating and why is this.
Cllr Dalton (Labour) accepted that this fountain has not worked since installation and became full of green algae because  of this.

Q What expenditure has there been on this fountain
A Purchase of solar panel £700 – Installation cost approximately £2,000 plus various ongoing
maintenance costs  – Total – Well over £3,000 and counting
Q How long has this been going on
A c 2yrs, maybe more
Q Why was it leaking in the first installation process
A Non-waterproof cement used!!
Q Why is it now disintegrating
A  As Cllr Dalton admitted – The chemical they purchased to stop the algae was the wrong
sort and this is what is causing the disintegration!
Q SO – What are they going to do now
A The latest suggestion is – Ditch all that, fill it with soil and make it a flower bed!
Q So what are they going to do with the solar panel they purchased
A Computer says Don’t Knooooooooooooooow
More cost –  Compost – Plants & ongoing maintenance
WHAT A BUGGERS MUDDLE  –  AGAIN
ANSTON TAXPAYERS LOSE OUT YET AGAIN
Madame was pushed up the steps-made to kneel, the crowd boos and the knitters cackle – will she lose her head!

ANOTHER COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CHAIRMAN – Cllr Beck (Labour) – Le Tricoteur  – (Male Knitter)
Cllr Jepson (Independent) complained about the behaviour and inappropriate comments of the chairman Cllr Beck.
Q What happened, do tell
A At a previous meeting the Chairman shouted out disgraceful, disgraceful, disgraceful when Cllr Jepson abstained on a proposal.
Q Surely fellow councillors and members of the public considered his comments most
Inappropriate
A Yes most certainly
Cllr Thornton (Independent) said “The word disgraceful was used 3 times and I think that was highly inappropriate.  Round this table we are subject to a Code of Conduct, there were insults traded and other comments made.  We have one councillor laughing and shouting across the table to other councillors and if it is coming from the Chairman I suggest he needs to apologise.”
Q What happened then
A Cllr Beck said – It was a wrong thing to do
Cllr Thornton  said Thank you for the apology
Cllr Beck – IT WAS NOT AN APOLOGY

SO – The Chairman fails to apologise – There is most definitely one rule for faux aristocrats and one rule for citizens.
Lead him up the steps – OFF WITH HIS HEAD

LITTER:
John Ireland brought up the subject of litter between North (Nord) Anston Post Office and Narrow Lane.
Q WHAT – did he venture into enemy territory –
A Probably disorientated!

Cue  –  Cllr Dalton  jumps straight in to promote community litter pick:
“It is very much on each agenda at the moment.  It is very useful for people to let us know where they see litter.  We are on a programme of encouraging young people, schools and older people to do community litter picks.”

Q Isn’t this a question of Cllr Dalton self promoting her RMBC’s projects.
A  Of course, mix and mismatch RMBC and Parish Council business at every opportunity.

Cllr Thornton (Independent) pointed out that Cllr Dalton and other Labour RMBC councillors on the parish council voted for the cuts to Street Pride’s litter picking budget.

Q SO – Are we now employing children as slave labour due to budget cuts.
A Would seem so even though RMBC councillors take themselves off to expensive meals (at Aston Hall) at the taxpayer’s expense.

WHAT A BUGGERS MUDDLE – AGAIN
ANSTON TAXPAYERS LOSE OUT YET AGAIN
DROP THE BLADE – CHOP OFF THE HEAD – CLUNK INTO BASKET

The finest heckler Citizen Lewis –
“Are we now sending little lads up chimneys”
Q What was he referring to
A Oh the campaign to get schoolchildren to pick the litter of Anston
Q Were  the children from Greenlands school involved
A Yes – That is where Cllr Dalton is a governor
Q Don’t we pay rates for litter picking
A Yes – Mr Lewis that finest of hecklers has a very good point

Q Did Mr Lewis complain of RMBC’s profligacy
A Yes and of the rise in council house rents and the highest rates in the borough.
Q What happened then
A See below please
VIVRE  LA REVOLUTION –

And from another page of history
Q Did a lady from the Anston Nord give a history lesson to the councillors
A Oh Yes – She pointed out why the rates of Anston were so high.
Q Why are they
A Because Anston Parish Council raised money on the precept to fight the lady’s vehicular right to her cottage.
After the lady’s vehicular rights were confirmed by the court Anston Parish Council failed to take
the precept back down to the previous level.
Q How much was this
A  Around £80,000 we believe
Q You mean that has been kept on the precept
A Yes and most years they have applied a 5 or 10% increase on the precept
Q Goodness me  – What was behind this
A  A resident causing obstruction and damage by parking cars and dustbins on the village green
Q Was this parking legal
A NO
Q Why did Anston Parish Council allow this
A Well you would have to ask them
Q Has the lady spoken about this before at Anston Parish Council
A Most definitely
Q Did she say she had been threatened with closure of her access
A She most certainly did
Q Who had done so
A Robin Stonebridge threatened to close the access to the green a number of times and the clerk threatened to  close her access
Q And she has spoken of this before
A Oh yes and written to the parish council about how shameful it is that this money has not been given back to the public
Q And what was the response
A No answer was the firm reply!

Boy Wonder, Le Tricoteur – Trying to keep the lid on things refusing to let her continue

Q Didn’t Anston Parish Council go back to court to challenge the judge on his decision on costs
A They did – wasting more ratepayers money
Q What was the outcome of that
A The judge fined them on a time related indemnity basis
Q Does the lady have evidence
A Bien sur –  In spades.
Q Is that the whole story
A Watch this space

Q What happened whilst the member of the public was speaking
A John Thomas Ireland, the hopeless and hapless ex chairman, got up and started wandering about Iain St.John got up and started wandering about along with several others.

Poison Ivy aka Joyce Brindley grinning not paying attention to her knitting.
Dropped a stitch, dropped her demeanour dropped her credbility
Not bothered about the excessively high rates in Anston?
Not bothered about Madame la Guillotine
Just bothered about there being enought sweeties in the communal council sweetie bag

Q Had the meeting closed
A NO  – Councillors wandering about everywhere, chatting amongst themselves, taking sweeties from the bag – totally disrespecting members of the public.
Disgraceful and Shameful conduct by councillors
Chairman Beck – Le Tricoteur, had  lost complete control,

Tumbrels have rolled, the Bastille has been stormed – the citizens are free (but not in Anston) North & South –

Remember – le  pretend aristocrat – Darren Hughes – Jumped “out of the tumbrel” But still got the chop.
Liberte        (but not to speak ere mate)
Egalite,       (certainly not ere mate)
Fraternite, (only of the red sock frere’s mate)

– – It’s Anston Parish Council

Bonne nuit!
Madame Overall

Mrs Overall’s Acorn Antiques – Parish Council Meeting 18th June 2012 – Olympic Edition!

ACORN  ANTIQUES

Parish Council Meeting  –  18 June 2012

.

In the run up to the Olympics

Make sure you have your go faster stripes on
Get ready – On your marks, get set, Goooooooooooooooooooooo
And they are off – Little discussion – Just reading through the agenda
Are they practicing for the Olympics , must be they have  broken the 100metre dash.

Q Didn’t Beck say last time he was not going to have discussion, to save time
A Yes – But – Just let us wait and see
Q Reminiscent of old times with yesterday’s men?
A Ooooh yes   –   And look what happened to them

Pistol fired – Pistol fired again – Another false start – Offenders back to the blocks
Race restarted  – they are off again –
Late entrant coming up on the inside

A Member of the Public – ex Parish Councillor (Labour)
“I was a bit surprised to learn that the grass cutting contract had been awarded to Cllr Baker,  I am not suggesting he had prior knowledge (we think you are) certainly he could have had more favourable access in his application for the contract.  I wonder why the grass cutting is not being done in-house?”

Q Does the Parish Council have the equipment for maintaining large grassed areas or the space to store such equipment.
A NO
Q Are the parish workers fully employed
A Of course they are
Q Doesn’t she know RMBC have cut the grass cutting budget throughout the Borough
A Well wouldn’t you think she would!  Being a  Labour supporter, she most likely supports the policy.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm – Not a well thought out question – Is she still a magistrate?  Hope she thinks her decisions out more clearly.

The Chairman, Booming Beck (Labour):-  Discussions and any possible implications had taken place

Cllr Thornton (Independent)   “ Can I assure you everything was above board, he was not present in any of the discussions.

The member of the public:  “I take on board what you say and I think it was a very unwise thing to do.”
Q Was it all  above board
A  Well it most certainly seems so.

Whoops – stepped out of lane – immediate disqualification
Independents coming up strongly

No 29 Bus Service

This service has been withdrawn and understandably members of the public are upset and concerned.

Cllr Burton implied the cuts were due to privatisation and harked back to a time when the services were much better.
Q Is she wearing rose tinted glasses
A Must be – the services always left a lot to be desired prior to privatisation

Contestant stumbles and cheats by catching the bus!
Another disqualfication

Gardeners Question Time – Part 1

Weeds are Growing says Cllr Brindley
Q Oh deary dear, well they do don’t they and where is this tragedy happening
A In the gulleys and gutters of South Anston
Q Well aren’t they growing everywhere
A Yeah they are
Speed up, revving like Billy Ho – and like a flash – in comes Cllr Dalton I will take that up with RMBC
Q Now just a minute, Was this a set up so that Cllr Dalton could yet again wrest parish matters and take them to the Borough
A Well they are bezzy mates

Oh Ho Ho Ho Cllr Jepson (Independent) quick out of the blocks and over the hurdle – He had already enquired about this problem and the use of the street cleaning vehicles and GUESS WHAT FOLKES – There are the 3 vehicles for use in the Borough – Soon to be reduced to 2  –  Oh dear what a disaster  –

First out of the blocks takes the trophy.

Gardeners Question Time – Part 2

Oh Dear Another Tragedy – Cllr Brindley – Grass is growing on the grassed areas at the cross roads
Booming Beck – That’s RMBC Land

Oh deary deary deary – That is 2 questions about RMBC issues  – I do wonder why!!
Surely we are there to discuss parish council issues – Surely time wasted on RMBC issues prevents the parish issues being discussed.

Disqualified from the race for two false starts

Code of Conduct

Councillors were asked to accept RMBC’s Code of Conduct at the last Finance Meeting.
The full council was asked to ratify this at the Parish Council Meeting

Q Was it pointed out that the Standards Committee does not exist at present
A Yes
Q Was it pointed out that nobody knows what the make up or constitution is going to be
A Yes
Q Was it pointed out that no rules are finalised
A Yes
Q Was it pointed out the pecuniary interest rules have not been published
A Yes

So what did the vote produce:-
Acceptance of a non-existing committee!!
Acceptance of a non-existing committee membership!!
Acceptance of non-existing rules!!
Acceptance of non-existing pecuniary interests!!
Ain’t this another = Buggers Muddle
Well it is Anston Parish Council ain’t it!!

All competitors wearing red socks disqualified

Independents – On the home stretch and chests out for the white tape

CROSSED THE LINE BREACHED THE TAPE
AND THE WINNER IS ——– Certainly not the people of Anston!

All puffed out – Gasping for air – Can’t get my breath!

Goodnight All

Mrs Overall

A Parallel Universe?

Rotherham Politics recently reported on the case of Roy Hunt, part of which related to the fact that he had thought himself underpaid as a Town Council Clerk, on circa £40,000!

Roy Hunt. formerly a Rotherham Borough Councillor 1975-1979, Ex-Wales parish council clerk* and the sacked Dronfield Town Council Clerk had clearly lost contact with reality. Apparently propelled by the same sense of entitlement that afflicts RMBC to this day, he thought public money could be used for his own benefit, helped himself and has paid a heavy price for his stupidity.

Imagine my surprise then, when I stumbled across another potential example of fantasy reality, in a parish council clerk in Rotherham!

This time I write of the Anston parish council clerk who is also simultaneously, Responsible Financial Officer for Eckington town council, Michael Gazur!

‘Two Jobs’ Gazur, describes himself as Chief Executive Officer of Anston parish council!!!

Anston parish must be the only one in the land to employ the services of a Chief Executive Officer, as opposed to the parish clerk that all the others are content with having?

See Rikipedia entry for Michael Gazur.

Previously: When there’s a democratic deficit?

* Citation required