6 December (Part 1) - Department of inconsequential blogs
Lame Excuses Department 2
More time or less for BIB following the hospitalisation?
What I hadn’t bargained for is the number of calls
from friends seeking information, one lasted 55 minutes, and from NHS staff. When Newham’s utterly useless Social Workers start to
ring they are going to get a very curt response. Before I even speak to them
I will demand an apology for writing to me a little over two years ago to say all my aunt’s problems were
due to me expecting too much help.
I have been going to East Ham at least weekly for 30 years and have never asked Newham Council for any help
beyond their standard allocation of free parking permits. It was their totally incompetent Social
Services Department who muscled in on the act against my aunt’s wishes.
They were one almighty disaster zone never getting anything right and when my
complaint found its way to the Mayor, Sir Robin Wales, they became even stroppier.
I doubt that Paula Peaty will want to speak to me again.
Criminal Investigation Department 2
No progress. I have ten more days to get the Appeal in. Should be enough; but that is what I always say.
Useless Head of Waste Department 2
I
suppose it shouldn’t take long to dash off a note to the Information
Commissioner’s Office to tell them that not only has Bexley Council failed to meet the
FOI timetable, they are also refusing to enter into any correspondence about it.
Their reasons will be simple enough, if they tell me the truth, Steve Didsbury
will be on the receiving end of a complaint that he did nothing as soon as he
discovered who was trying to help him.
Christmas Decorations Department 2
I
didn’t find out who is responsible for
the Christmas lighting in Wilton Road
because there was no one at last night’s meeting who might know beyond those I had already asked.
The Greenwich Council officer didn’t attend as planned for what is probably a
very good reason which must remain under wraps, however a couple of topics are
not in any way confidential; everyone who goes around with their eyes open will
have worked out one for themselves anyway.
Now that Bexley Council has built
a rather nice footpath from the Knee Hill
roundabout to the station concourse where one never existed until two weeks ago;
people who live in the Co-op Estate area of Abbey Wood have no further need to use Wilton Road.
A very gentle slope over the flyover is far preferable to dropping down into
Wilton Road and then climbing 42 steps. It could eventually kill the village
shops, especially with Bexley Council planning an attractive alternative
facility on the other side of the railway.
The other little thing brought to my attention last night is obvious but only if you take
a moment to think about it.
While picking up a copy of the Telegraph this morning a lady who lives almost
under the flyover asked me what I thought of the new station. “It is ugly” I
said. She agreed, adding “it looks like a space ship dropped out of the sky”,
and that’s the problem. It doesn’t look like a railway station and from ground
level there is nothing to suggest it is a railway station.
The shopkeepers were reporting that people come into the Wilton Road shops and
ask for directions to Abbey Wood station. The only clue to it being a station is the old British
Railways sign 35 feet up in the air above the lift shaft - and that cannot be seen from Wilton Road.
Earlier today the Network Rail boss told me when the Felixstowe Road lifts will
open. It is really appreciated how much inside information he is prepared to
pass on but his forecast for the Gayton Road lifts was wrong (and he has since
explained why) so I am not going to risk looking silly by handing out Crossrail dates again.
Note: This blog may have been longer but I am dragged away
to deal with something for the Abbey Wood Traders’ Association. I get the
distinct impression that the two Councils do not like the idea of me being the
AWTA’s Secretary cum Odd Job Man. I suspect I will be eased out by political
interference before long which will be a win-win
situation. I won’t have to write the minutes but I bet I still get to see them -
without perhaps feeling quite so much that I must protect the contents.