A very busy day for me meeting with my builders and communicating with Charles Frost about the construction of my forthcoming conservatory and Koi carp pond, arranging the delivery of half a ton of sharp sand for my games lawn top dressing and then working all day at home before sharing my time this evening between two very important meetings concerning Little Paxton concerning planning threats and the organisation of the Village Hall. There was a shooting incident in London today concerning Cuban diplomats.
A busy day today tackling a range of Council business and getting letters ready to take across to Pathfinder House. I also wrote a parish paper on public relations and dealt with that as well. The builders, Gadsby and Faye, came around this morning and I went through the building work specification with them to make sure there was nothing forgotten. Following phone calls to Charles Frost afterwards, we agreed a start date of four weeks hence for the building work and six weeks’ time for the conservatory erection. After working all day, this evening I was faced with the need to attend two meetings – one HDC planning committee and another ‘Village Hall Crisis meeting’ in Little Paxton. I first drove to Pathfinder House, delivered my letters and a note for the Planning Chairman containing my comments for the meeting, and then I drove back to Little Paxton Village Hall, delivering letters to Parish Council officers on the way. At the Hall, the attendance was disappointing for me. Only one of the four trustees and representatives of about six organisations with there, though total people present amounted to about 20. Trustee and acting Chairman, Des Carter, spoke at length about the history and background of the village hall trust and management committee. They require a Secretary, Treasurer and Chairman and much more active committee. Helen Young volunteered to be secretary, no treasurer was to be found and I was hinted at for the Chairman’s position.
There was dissatisfaction with the way the meeting had been publicised and so it was agreed that a leaflet be written and distributed throughout the village and I put round piece of paper so that everyone willing to deliver wood sign. I said to them that, with respect to me being chairman, that I could not turn around the situation alone and it had to be a total effort. User organisations had to agree to attend regularly and the Trustees to consider the new ideas and needs and approve necessary short, medium and long-term action. If they could achieve this, I would consider chairing their meetings. Then a rush across to Pathfinder House again and I managed to arrive in time to present Little Paxton’s case for opposing an application in Hayling Lane. It was still predictably defeated. The planning meeting had started at 7 PM and was still going strong at 10:30 PM when I left with one third of the agenda still to go! News last night was of a gun incident in London involving some Cuban diplomats. This morning, I had also arranged for Cosy Corner Building Supplies to deliver half a ton of sharp sand and got it safely across the games lawn before this morning’s fine weather turned wet.