Nuclear Information Service moves to Reading

The Nuclear Information Service has relocated to Reading. I attended their opening event yesterday. With both Aldermaston and Burghfield close by to keep an eye on this seems like a positive move for them.

Rob is on Twitter

I have finally succumbed and got myself a Twitter account.

As David Cameron said though "too many tweets makes a twit" -- or something similar -- and I shall remember this important rule!

Register details risks to Council

There was an article in the Evening Post a few weeks ago detailing strategic risks to the Council taken from a committee report. Unfortunately, they did not publish it on their website. Here are the seven risks identified:

Unable to protect children from harm
Failing to provide school places for every child
Not ready to run a general election
Failing to meet fire safety regulations
Failing to keep within budget
Unable to maintain and service delivery from the Civic Centre
Failing to deal with projected cash shortages expected in the public sector.

This is pretty damning for the Labour Party who have been running Reading many years. However, if they wanted to the Lib Dems and Tories could get together and run the Council themselves -- as Labour do not have a majority -- but they are reluctant to do this as it is far easier to be out of power and criticise the Council.

Family quiz night in Palmer Park

Tonight -- Saturday, July 25 -- from 6:30 p.m. till 9 p.m. there is a quiz night at the East Reading Adventure Playground Association -- the area inside the high wooden fence on the London Road side of Palmer Park. There will be refreshments etc. Entry is one pound per person and teams should be a maximum of four people.

Hugh Turner Quartet

I went to see the Hugh Turner Quartet at the Global Cafe in the town centre the other week. I do not normally get a chance to see much jazz, but they were great.

They have a website but I could not find a way to listen to them on the Internet.

Big Lunch/Reopen the Jolly Anglers

Thanks to Stu for this report on the Big Lunch/Reopen the Jolly Anglers campaign:

Overall it was brilliant. Healthy turnout (maybe 40-50 at times, ish? I find it hard to judge crowds...), wonderful community spirit, great food, drink, chairs, marque etc etc. The band were great!

I think everyone who did anything towards it deserve a massive thanks! The band (Black Diamonds/Colm/Peter), providers of food/drink/materials(chairs, marque etc), organisers, leafleters, photographers, the two girls who made and put lots of effort into the petition, the fishermans cottage, etc etc, all are stars.

My girlfriend took loads of photo's so we'll send them through asap, should get photos up on the website etc. We will fwd them especially to Bernie/media group etc so that a press report can be put together?

If there was any down side to today this was the only thing; as far as I could tell the press did not show up at all, so we will need to get photos and a report to them and press them to cover it.

But other than, damn good, thanks for a good day folks.

A month in the life of a Green Party campaigner -- June

Council meetings -- 2
Community meetings and events -- 11
Council enquiries and requests for repairs -- 4

Council meetings
I attended the Traffic Management Advisory Panel to get some action on the dire parking situation in Newtown. I also went along to the Green City Forum -- which was very interesting -- to find out more about plans for Palmer Park.

Community meetings and work
It has been a busy month with lots of community events. Highlights included presenting certificates at the volunteer's party, the bike week critical mass organised by the Reading Cycle Campaign and a talk on Christianity and Islam at the Warehouse.

Residents' enquiries and requests for repairs
During the election period we picked up a few requests for action around noise and other issues.

Campaigning
The campaign that I have been putting most effort into recently is the one to Reopen the Jolly Anglers pub. I am on the events team and we are organising an awareness raising event this Sunday as part of the Big Lunch.

We have also been going door to door with the Palmer Park consultation to ensure people have heard about it and get it back to the Council in time.

Community Gardening Sessions -- Reading Ridgeline Trust

Emily asked me to plug this:

At The Ridgeline Trust Therapeutic Garden Site (top of Hamilton road).

Every Wednesday 11am – 4pm

Help save our local wildlife and develop the garden so that our local community can grow their own veg.

EVERYONE WELCOME, young children must have an adult to look after them as the plot is quite wild !

Call Emily for more information

Home number: 01183745562

Email: emily.meunier@yahoo.co.uk

Palmer Park consultation response

Palmer Park is a really positive space in the local area. It provides sports, leisure and play facilities as well as habitat for wildlife. Following on from talking to residents, I submitted the following response to the Palmer Park consultation.

Answers to specific questions:

I am in favour of extending the play area, subject to consultations with the children who will use it.

I am not in favour of any net expansion of the number of parking spaces. I would like to see controls on the parking by the stadium to prevent abuse of this facility late at night.

I am in favour of moving the recycling as long as it remains visible.

General comments:

I would like to see a fence along the Wokingham Road side of the park.

I would like to see the East Reading Adventure Playground Area fence removed or lowered.

I would like to see the toilet by the play area upgraded as it is a poor facility.

I would like to see a wildflower meadow between the stadium and railway track.

I would like to see the hedge, that was removed being replaced this autumn.

I would like to see a review into the blocked up toilets reopened as a cafe.

I would like to see a kids trail around the park, taking them between the play areas and other sections of interest.

I would like to see some history boards in the Park.

If the parking by St Bartholomew's Road is to be removed, I hope that the Council has considered the impact this will have on residents of the Road. The residents' parking may need to be extended.

Please keep me updated on the developments.

The Jolly Anglers meeting

It was a busy weekend -- Kennet Walk barbecue, URC summer fayre, Orts Road 30th anniversary barbecue, East Reading Festival -- ending with the meeting to get the Jolly Anglers reopened. The meeting was reasonably big -- about 20 people -- and hard work for the chair. But we made progress in establishing the facts or lack of them, and keeping up the momentum of the campaign, by hopefully organising an event as part of the Big Lunch. See the Facebook group for more information as and when.

Wycliffe church hall reopening

Recently I attended the reopening of the Wycliffe Church Hall. It looks really impressive, and they should be getting new chairs sometime soon. As there are now chairs which can be removed the hall is now suitable for a variety of uses, and can be booked out.

Palmer Park consultation

If you live near Palmer Park in east Reading then get yourself a copy of the consultation on the park from the library and have your say.

True Food Co-op gets a shop

I have just heard that the True Food Co-op have got the go-ahead for the new shop site in Emma Green. Congratulations to everyone who has worked hard to make this happen. Only being able to shop within the limited market hours has been a barrier for some people to get to the Co-op, hopefully having a shop will address this.