Tendring Topics………on Line
Redundant Royals?
I
am sorry that Prince William is giving up his job as a search and rescue
helicopter pilot with the RAF. It was a
thoroughly worth-while occupation and he seemed to enjoy doing it. How splendid,
I thought, that a senior member of the Royal Family should be in the armed
forces, but saving lives rather than threatening them. I’d have thought it was
much more satisfying, and more socially useful, than trotting round the country
– or the Commonwealth – cutting ribbons, shaking hands and making anodyne
speeches.
Sadly,
government policy would soon have snatched that job from him even had he had
wished to continue with it. Obsessed
with the doctrinaire conviction that every function carried out by a public
authority will be better and more efficiently performed by private enterprise,
the government is discontinuing the air-sea rescue service that has been
carried out by the RAF and out-sourcing it to a private firm.
Air-sea
rescue, the Royal Mail; what next I wonder? If the government cuts too deeply into the
public services and privatises too many of their activities they could find
themselves in serious trouble. Do you
remember when the private sector let us down over security at last year's Olympics or
when, a few years earlier, a food-animal epidemic produced a problem the
solution of which was beyond the private sector’s capability? On both occasions
they urgently needed the public sector’s expertise, loyalty and co-operation. To solve a
similar problem in the future they may find that there’s no public sector left
on which they can fall back!
Even
Mrs Thatcher, the great evangelist of privatisation, drew the line at selling off the Queen’s head by
privatising the Royal Mail. Having
passed that hurdle I’m only surprised that Messrs Cameron, Osborne and co
haven’t yet had the idea of completing the job by privatising the monarchy. News
International could surely put in a successful tender. They’d make the institution productive,
profitable and cost effective – and produce satisfying dividends for their
shareholders. They’ve already had
unrivalled experience of manipulating the mighty and bending the minds of top
politicians. The reign of King Rupert
the First would undoubtedly be remembered as the one in which the United Kingdom
really became a land fit for cosmopolitan billionaires to prosper in.
Tough about the fate of the former Royal Family – and the rest of us!
Tough about the fate of the former Royal Family – and the rest of us!
A Freeze on Fuel Prices?
Goodness
– it was rash of Ed Miliband to promise to freeze fuel prices for a fixed
period, two years in advance of the possibility of his being able to fulfil it.
Despite national efforts to develop sources of sustainable energy, oil and gas
originating from countries that are notoriously unstable and unreliable seem
likely to be our main sources of energy for the foreseeable future. If he should succeed, say the furious fuel
companies, he is risking power failures and blackouts. Is that a forecast I
wonder – or a threat?
I
warmed to the idea just a little when I learned that Lord Mandelson was
strongly opposed to it. He, you’ll
recall, was one of the architects of New
Labour and is remembered for his comment that he, ‘had no problem with billionaires’.
I am one of the many who think that in a country where thousands are
depending on Food Banks and charitable-giving to survive, he should have a problem with them.
A
regular blog reader suggests a couple of ideas that might have gone into Ed Miliband’s speech if he really wants to
prevent the poorer members of our society having to choose between eating and
heating:
What would
be a good and realistic thing to do is to ban energy companies from charging
extra for pre-paid meters. These are almost entirely used by poor families with
debt problems who live in low-cost privately rented homes, bedsits for
example. The price difference they have
to endure is really quite significant. If this involved any extra cost it would
be much fairer for all consumers to share it..
A more imaginative policy would be to force
energy companies to introduce a price structure in which the first xx Kilowatts
were very cheap but after that the more fuel was used, the more would be its cost per unit. This would make it
possible for poor (and frugal) people to stay warm at lower cost, while those
who were trying to heat six bedroomed mansions and a swimming pool would find
it very expensive and be encouraged to put solar panels on the roof
Well, why not?
A Closer look at Clacton-on-Sea’s Sea
Front.
Regular
readers of this blog will know that old age and arthritis have crippled me (or,
to use a politically correct euphemism, ‘have
severely reduced my mobility’). Without
my electric mobility scooter – my iron horse – I would be housebound. With it I can visit local friends, go to
church and to our Quaker Meeting and do my shopping. For longer journeys I am dependent on the
kindness of my family and friends to give me a lift in their cars. I very much appreciate these occasional
outings but, of course, when we reach our destination and the car is parked, I
can still hobble only a few yards, leaning heavily on my stick and preferably
with a supportive arm!
Pete and I (on my ‘iron pony’) on Clacton Pier
Pete and Andy, my two always-thoughtful sons, found a solution. Pete and daughter-in-law Arlene visited me on Saturday 21st September. In the boot of Pete’s car was an easily-assembled mini mobility scooter – an iron pony – that he and Andy had bought for my use! Pete drove us to Marine Parade West and parked his car with the help of my ‘blue disabled badge’. Then, in a matter of minutes, he assembled the mini-scooter, and we set out on a journey of exploration. We went down the slope at Pier Gap and onto the pier itself. Riding my new steed was an exciting experience. The controls were almost the same as those on my trusted ‘iron horse’ but everything (except of course me!) was on a much smaller scale.
It had been years since
any one of the three of us had had a chance to explore the pier thoroughly –
although we had received very enthusiastic reports from the younger guests at
my birthday celebration in May. They had visited the pier after the celebratory
lunch. We were pleased and just a little
surprised, to see that there were plenty of visitors of all ages enjoying
themselves despite the fact that schools had re-opened and we were nearing the
end of September. There was plenty of
noise and bustle. Pete said it reminded
him of the pier iu Clacton’s glory days in the ‘60s and ‘70s when Clacton had thronged with visitors during the holiday
period. He was particularly pleased to
see the Steel Stella, the Helter Skelter and the Dodgems, as well
as other newer rides. We went to the end
of the pier and surveyed the wind-farm, and the restaurant with its huge glass
windows looking out over the ocean.
 |
| On Clacton Pier - Steel Stella and Helter Skelter |
Having explored the pier we
thought that we’d take a stroll along
the lower prom towards the Martello
Tower
 |
| Brightly coloured beach hut and wall painting |
. We walked
back (well, I rode my iron pony of course) through the cliff-top gardens. My visitors and I were exhausted but we had
enjoyed ourselves. Despite all the bad
press reports and the whingeing letters in the local papers, Clacton-on-Sea has all that is needed for a bright future – sandy and safe beaches, a reborn and
prospering pier, colourful cliff-top gardens, and a rainfall and sunshine
record as good as any holiday resort in
the UK – and much better than most!
Tendring Council’s top priority should be to make that known to the
world!
I am now looking forward to a visit from son Andy and daughter-in-law Marilyn on 12th October. Perhaps my new 'iron pony' will have another outing!
I am now looking forward to a visit from son Andy and daughter-in-law Marilyn on 12th October. Perhaps my new 'iron pony' will have another outing!
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