April 2008 - Posts
TOMORROW is polling day – and a dark cloud is looming over Welwyn Hatfield. For there is a real chance that come Friday morning, the make-up of the borough council will be all blue.
The council is currently made up of 35 Conservatives, 10 Labour and three Lib Dem councillors.
And, with the Tories the only party fielding candidates in every one of the 48 seats up for grabs, a ‘bluewash’ cannot be dismissed.
Now don’t get me wrong. This piece isn’t about encouraging you all not to vote Tory.
Indeed, regular readers of my column will know I am strictly fair with all sides.
But my point is, it is not good for democracy if any authority at any level does not have a credible, opposition voice.
For who will challenge the decisions that a party with total domination could, and would, make? (Other than the WHT of course).
But whatever your choice, please, please do go and cast your vote. You’ve only got to look at the election farce in Zimbabwe to realise just how lucky we are to have such a basic democratic right in this country.
WITH the cost of healthcare becoming more and more expensive, the body that governs our hospitals appears to have built a new wing for next to nothing!
Our disbelieving news editor opened an email this week, from an East and North Herts NHS Trust official, that read: "Mount Vernon Cancer Centre: official opening of £21 New Radiotherapy Wing."
Now unless trust chief executive Nick Carver managed to construct an entire medical wing out of cardboard and sticky-back plastic, I presume the odd zero or five were left out.
I CAN’T be the only one who is annoyed with the state of our roads at the moment.
Hertfordshire Highways really do have a lot to answer for.
Potholes are everywhere.
And when people do complain – the council comes along with their trusty white spray-paint to mark the road.
Then one of two things seems to be happening.
The white marks stay for what seems like forever before the repair trucks arrive.
Or the holes are filled in – badly – resulting in just as an uneven ride for us drivers than when the pothole was there.
But it’s not only potholes.
The awful repairs to roads created when utility companies fill in the road after digging it up are leaving Times Territory in a dreadful situation.
Why are the utility companies not checked up on?
And why are our roundabouts in such a bad state of repair?
The Ganetts roundabout for example has a deep groove all around the outside.
Now both councils have improved the vegetation – why have they not made the road safer for us road users?
I would like to nominate Hollybush Lane, WGC as one of the worst for potholes and Tewin Road, WGC as the worst for patchy repairs.
*Do you have a road that you think is worse?
Get in touch and maybe the highways department can supply us with some answers.
LIKE speed cameras for the police, parking tickets are seen by many as just a revenue earner for the council.
So when something happens that might bring the cash flooding in, you’d have thought those at Welwyn Hatfield Council would keep quiet about it.
Not so.
A press release landed in the WHT’s email inbox this week telling visitors to the Campus East council offices in WGC not to park in the adjacent College Way.
It read: “The limited waiting bays closest to the rear of the Campus East offices have been replaced with a loading bay.
“The bay is for goods vehicles only during the period Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm.
“Penalty Charge Notices will be issued to any vehicle parked in the bay during restricted hours. The disabled bays are still available to Blue Badge holders.”
The release ended: “Please make sure you check the sign plates before parking your vehicle.”
So if you happen to get a ticket now, you can’t say you weren’t warned!
SO I see there is going to be traffic lights on the A1(M) slip roads at the two Hatfield junctions.
Now, I’m used to stopping at lights at the end of a slip road when coming off a motorway, but never going on to one.
I can see the slip road becoming a bit like an F1 starting grid, with a line of cars waiting to get the signal to speed off on to the the A1(M).
Traffic at the Oldings roundabout is bad at the best of times and I am also concerned at the effect this measure will have on roads in that area. I will watch this one with interest.
A GEORDIE television star has been spotted in Times Territory apparently filming a programme about his family heritage.
Kevin Whately, or as he may be better known detective Robert Lewis from the ITV hits Morse and Lewis, was seen in Watton-at-Stone where he popped into The George and Dragon for a bit of grub.
Workers at the High Street-based pub were left baffled to why the Auf Wiedersehen, Pet actor would be in Watton-at-Stone, but were told by the film crew that he was their filming the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are?
Peter Tatlow, The George and Drago’s owner, said: “I presume he must have some kind of family history here, which seems weird considering where he’s from.
“It was a pleasure having him though.”
Well, as promised in today's WHT, I have now joined the blogging community on the wonderful world of the web. It might take me a bit of getting used to though, so please bear with me.
For those who don't know me or seen my column in the paper before, I try to highlight issues that need highlighting, and take a lighter look at some of the more bizarre happenings in Times Territory.
This blog will be an online version of my column - although you never know, the odd exclusive tit bit here and there might appear.
You can contact me through here (I think), or by emailing whtimes@archant.co.uk (and hopefully the newsdesk will pass your messages on to me!!)
Happy blogging!