An Opinion
| Feb 2012 Commenting on the goings-on at the Parish Council meetings An ALTERNATIVE Opinion … “That was rather a scrappy meeting,” one councillor said to me the day after. “I don’t know what you’ll find to write about.” And I’d been thinking it was quite averagely businesslike and useful. But what do I know? It’s true that there had been nothing about phone-hacking (are our lives really so dull that they’re not worth an eavesdrop?); and nobody (judging by PCSO Jess Bullock’s report) had been murdered by a vengeful ex-; and none of the village VIP’s had tried to foist their speeding points onto their estranged wife. What the PC showed itself to be expert in was not doing silly things. We will give up trying to agree on a Jubilee beacon site along with our neighbours and will have one of our own. We will not contribute to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau because we did so last year. The Air Ambulance and First Responders were mentioned as more relevant to Burton. We should not call on the War Memorial Fund for money to refurbish our one at a time when there is a national need to repair vandalised plaques and monuments. One PCllr put it succinctly: “It’s not up to us to think of things to do, like surveys” with (this word spoken with cutting sarcasm). “If people come up something, then we can help.” Nobody disagreed. Accounts Presenting his sheets of figures, the Parish Clerk said, “I have run out of anything new to say about these.“ He did say that we had spent 8% less than our full precept so we have spare money to spend on refurbishing the Market Cross. We can fairly call on the national Milestone Society for 50% of the cost of repairing faded or rusty stones and signposts. Kath Hayhurst, Burton’s honorary historian, was present to show photographs of several markers and to tell us that the Milestone Society will be meeting here on May 12. Coming Events Two coming events gave rise to amusing chitchat of a more or less gossipy nature. A speaker must be chosen for the Annual General Meeting on March 15. The Highways boss was ruled out because “you can’t shut him up.“ The boss of the Agricultural Quarter (now always known as ’the new auction mart’) was favoured because “He hasn’t a lot to say, so he won’t bang on for more than ten minutes,“ and he can be grilled about traffic problems which may arise when the premises near the A6070/A65 intersection are in full swing. As usual, the PC can nominate a member to enter the ballot for the Royal Garden Party. One PCllr was ruled out because she’d been twice and another because he’d been once. Another veteran of these do’s was heard to murmur, “I’m a regular there. Lousy food, but it’s a nice occasion.“ That settles it: I won’t be dropping in for my scones and clotted cream next time I’m down that way. Flytipping A hideous item closed the meeting. In his report on flytipping the Chairman mentioned that he had seen some bags of rubbish in a field beside the main road just north of Clawthorpe. The nearest householder found that there were “several bags of deer’s innards and hooves and the like.“ The police will be contacted if it happens again. So poachers go on prowling and butchering - an upsetting glimpse into a dark byway of our countryside. D.C. |
