For those of you (the Politics Yawn Brigade)that didn't follow my separate election blog, I'm pleased to rather belatedly tell you that I won my local district council election. So now I'm officially Councillor Troy although an old friend has advised "I hope you don’t use that ridiculous affectation in real life!" Mrs Troy, in contrast, seems to quite like the concept of being the councillor's wife and has gone out on a clothes shopping spree in anticipation of being invited to future events.
With a council chamber dress code* of "jacket/suit and tie", Troy has also had to delve into his wardrobe to find garments much under-utilised since he stopped working back in 2007. And I'm proud to announce that they all still fit perfectly. With the suits having been hand-tailored in Hong Kong and each with an additional pair of trousers (obviously not worn at the same time!), its nice to be making use again of that previous investment. Fastening the top button of the shirts and adding a tie is actually taking some getting re-used to. However it does feel nice to be smartly dressed for a change and Mrs Troy welcomed seeing her husband in something other than the usual casual gear.
The reason I just got round to blogging now is that I've been SO BUSY! There is a tremendous amount of training and induction involved for new councillors. Unlike with both the school governor's role and being a parish councillor, this training is all upfront rather than spread over the first year. So my calendar has been pretty full and I've had to co-ordinate a lot more with Mrs Troy as a lot of it spreads over into the evenings. In fact some weeks, with all my various activities, I'm now out on three or four evenings! I felt pleased to get involved on the Planning Committee as those meetings start at 9.30am so I could go to those whilst Mrs Troy is at work. Of course this rather forgot the several meetings in school holidays which will present its own child-minding issues.
There are a handful of new councillors - "Newbies" we call ourselves - and by and large they are a very friendly and social bunch of people as most of us are in the same party. Some of the more experienced councillors, in contrast, have been there for twenty or more years and have seen a lot of changes in that time. Overall its a good mix.
Virtually everyone who retires will tell you that they don't know how they ever found the time to work. I think that one paces oneself differently but it is amazing how the calendar fills up and the days race by. I certainly don't regret retiring early and having all these new experiences in my "older age". Talking about "older age" - I insured my car through Saga and subsequently got a offer from them to subscribe to their Saga magazine at £7.95 for three years (22p per issue!). Never one to resist a bargain, I now will find myself reading the Saga Magazine which makes me feel very old indeed!
(* at least for the Conservative councillors)
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Saturday, 30 April 2011
A VERY AMUSING COMPOSITION
A very amusing ditty appearing on Youtube, explaining the AV system and how it gives second votes to the extreme parties, has made me chuckle. I thought I'd share it with you. Worth a few minutes of your time before going out to vote on Thursday.
Brilliant eh?
VOTE NO TO AV on THURSDAY 5th MAY
Brilliant eh?
VOTE NO TO AV on THURSDAY 5th MAY
Sunday, 10 April 2011
BLOG LETHARGY
Oh dear! Blogging mojo seems to have vanished this year. I'm not the only one as several people I follow seem to be suffering in a similar way - not sure why. Over the last few weeks I've been tagged twice which should provide blogging impetus - so watch this space and I will get round to it.
I was out in the garden earlier this morning and took this photo of our tulips
The daffodils seemed to come then go very quickly this year but I prefer the multi-coloured aspect of the tulips - they make a beautiful display with the sun shining through them.
I'm running in our local District Council elections in May. Readers who have been with this blog for a couple of years may remember my rookie campaign in the 2009 County Council elections. I finished a credible second then and hope to go one better this time. Actually finishing second this time would be okay as there are two seats in our election ward. There are eight (8!!!) candidates standing so there is plenty of opposition. Rather belatedly we found a second candidate to stand for the same party as me. That's useful because with each voter having two votes I was concerned that even my supporters could be helping the opposition with their second vote. Of course it is quite possible that this second candidate who is younger, female and more photogenic than Troy, may beat me!
If you'd like to follow my campaign I'm doing a separate blog about it. I'm putting in a link here [link since deleted] but will delete it after a few days. So do save it if you want to follow the progress of my campaign. If you comment there do remember to use my real name there rather than my nom de blog Troy.
I was out in the garden earlier this morning and took this photo of our tulips
The daffodils seemed to come then go very quickly this year but I prefer the multi-coloured aspect of the tulips - they make a beautiful display with the sun shining through them.
I'm running in our local District Council elections in May. Readers who have been with this blog for a couple of years may remember my rookie campaign in the 2009 County Council elections. I finished a credible second then and hope to go one better this time. Actually finishing second this time would be okay as there are two seats in our election ward. There are eight (8!!!) candidates standing so there is plenty of opposition. Rather belatedly we found a second candidate to stand for the same party as me. That's useful because with each voter having two votes I was concerned that even my supporters could be helping the opposition with their second vote. Of course it is quite possible that this second candidate who is younger, female and more photogenic than Troy, may beat me!
If you'd like to follow my campaign I'm doing a separate blog about it. I'm putting in a link here [link since deleted] but will delete it after a few days. So do save it if you want to follow the progress of my campaign. If you comment there do remember to use my real name there rather than my nom de blog Troy.
Thursday, 10 February 2011
HOURS OF FREE ENTERTAINMENT
When you look at the price you have to pay for entertainment - sporting events, concerts, the cinema - most are expensive. Some excessively so, in my opinion. There's not a lot of free entertainment available is there? Or is there?
Yesterday afternoon I went to my local library. Its a three mile drive to the nearest village library and its opening times vary day-to-day so I need to check each time from a handout pinned to our noticeboard to ensure I'll be going when its open. Its only a small library but it has a decent selection of books - reference and novels - as well as a few newspapers and periodicals. Whilst there I always have a quick browse of the local newspapers and a couple of magazines. Recently the council announced that they would be closing this library unless it was taken over "by the community". You are perhaps now expecting me to rant and rave about council spending cuts. Not on Troy's blog. With the parlous state of our economy after thirteen years of socialist mismanagement I fully understand the need to bring public spending back under control. However I think in many instances that councils are picking soft targets to cut rather than say their layers of over-paid middle managers for diversity and equality.
Troy has another idea to save the local libraries. Yesterday I borrowed four novels. Here they are:
None of these could be described as educational. They are just entertaining fiction. In fact I'm hoping to have hours of free entertainment over the next three weeks reading these novels. "Found Wanting" by Robert Goddard is I think the 16th book of his that I'll have read so I'm confident that I'll enjoy it. Likewise the collection of short stories by John Grisham. The other two are gambles based on reading the blurb of their back covers.
So I'm getting hours of entertainment - reading is better I believe than the cinema if you've got a good imagination - and all for "free". Well I say "free" but of course I pay an excessive amount each month in council tax, but like the NHS, libraries are free at the point of use. Now my idea to save the libraries would be to charge a modest amount for each book lent - say 25p. So I'd walk in, pay £1.00 for my four books and come out with hours of very cheap entertainment. At our library we check in and check out books ourselves using the technology. It wouldn't be difficult to put a prepaid amount(say £5) onto a card and then when checking the books out the system would take the charge off the prepaid card. Children could be exempt from the charges - but then adults would use their kid's cards to take out books. My answer to that would be to just have childrens book as exempt from charge (zero rated on the computer system) so that adult books would still be charged whoever took them out.
I can't believe that a modest 25p charge would deter readers. Even "poorer people" like those ahead of me in the queue at the local newsagents buying lottery tickets and cigarettes shouldn't find 25p per book excessive for a few hours of enjoyable reading.
There is apparently an Act of Parliament from 1964 that prevents libraries from charging for books. DVDs etc. can be charged out, but not books. So it would need parliament to rescind that law. I think that should be done, enabling councils to make modest charges for book lending and thus saving our libraries.
But that's just my opinion, I'd be very interested in hearing via the comments box what my readers think?
Yesterday afternoon I went to my local library. Its a three mile drive to the nearest village library and its opening times vary day-to-day so I need to check each time from a handout pinned to our noticeboard to ensure I'll be going when its open. Its only a small library but it has a decent selection of books - reference and novels - as well as a few newspapers and periodicals. Whilst there I always have a quick browse of the local newspapers and a couple of magazines. Recently the council announced that they would be closing this library unless it was taken over "by the community". You are perhaps now expecting me to rant and rave about council spending cuts. Not on Troy's blog. With the parlous state of our economy after thirteen years of socialist mismanagement I fully understand the need to bring public spending back under control. However I think in many instances that councils are picking soft targets to cut rather than say their layers of over-paid middle managers for diversity and equality.
Troy has another idea to save the local libraries. Yesterday I borrowed four novels. Here they are:
None of these could be described as educational. They are just entertaining fiction. In fact I'm hoping to have hours of free entertainment over the next three weeks reading these novels. "Found Wanting" by Robert Goddard is I think the 16th book of his that I'll have read so I'm confident that I'll enjoy it. Likewise the collection of short stories by John Grisham. The other two are gambles based on reading the blurb of their back covers.
So I'm getting hours of entertainment - reading is better I believe than the cinema if you've got a good imagination - and all for "free". Well I say "free" but of course I pay an excessive amount each month in council tax, but like the NHS, libraries are free at the point of use. Now my idea to save the libraries would be to charge a modest amount for each book lent - say 25p. So I'd walk in, pay £1.00 for my four books and come out with hours of very cheap entertainment. At our library we check in and check out books ourselves using the technology. It wouldn't be difficult to put a prepaid amount(say £5) onto a card and then when checking the books out the system would take the charge off the prepaid card. Children could be exempt from the charges - but then adults would use their kid's cards to take out books. My answer to that would be to just have childrens book as exempt from charge (zero rated on the computer system) so that adult books would still be charged whoever took them out.
I can't believe that a modest 25p charge would deter readers. Even "poorer people" like those ahead of me in the queue at the local newsagents buying lottery tickets and cigarettes shouldn't find 25p per book excessive for a few hours of enjoyable reading.
There is apparently an Act of Parliament from 1964 that prevents libraries from charging for books. DVDs etc. can be charged out, but not books. So it would need parliament to rescind that law. I think that should be done, enabling councils to make modest charges for book lending and thus saving our libraries.
But that's just my opinion, I'd be very interested in hearing via the comments box what my readers think?
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
HURRY UP! IT'S TIME FOR SCHOOL
I wonder how many households are like Troy's on a weekday morning. Putting an ear to our front door, all you would hear is increasingly loud shouting.....
"Hurry up! It's time for school"
"Are you still in the bathroom?"
"Aren't you dressed yet?"
"It's nearly twenty five to nine already!"
Mrs Troy has already long got up, made Troy Junior's packed lunch and headed off to work. She starts work at 8.30am so leaves home before eight o'clock. So that leaves me with the responsibility of getting Troy Junior to school on time. It is only an eight minute walk door-to-door to the school and children are not supposed to be left there on their own before 8.45am when the doors open and the school assumes responbility for the children. So getting there at the right time should be easy.
And in fact it is. We normally arrive at 8.45am if not a minute or two earlier. We have never ever in the last four years since moving here been late. So you are probably wondering why all the stress and shouting in our household every morning?
Frankly I don't understand it. I get up at 8.15am and am washed and dressed and ready to walk out the front door at 8.35am - prompt, every day - you could set your watch by me. So I ask you - why does Troy Junior need to shout and make such a fuss every morning!
"Hurry up! It's time for school"
"Are you still in the bathroom?"
"Aren't you dressed yet?"
"It's nearly twenty five to nine already!"
Mrs Troy has already long got up, made Troy Junior's packed lunch and headed off to work. She starts work at 8.30am so leaves home before eight o'clock. So that leaves me with the responsibility of getting Troy Junior to school on time. It is only an eight minute walk door-to-door to the school and children are not supposed to be left there on their own before 8.45am when the doors open and the school assumes responbility for the children. So getting there at the right time should be easy.
And in fact it is. We normally arrive at 8.45am if not a minute or two earlier. We have never ever in the last four years since moving here been late. So you are probably wondering why all the stress and shouting in our household every morning?
Frankly I don't understand it. I get up at 8.15am and am washed and dressed and ready to walk out the front door at 8.35am - prompt, every day - you could set your watch by me. So I ask you - why does Troy Junior need to shout and make such a fuss every morning!
Tuesday, 28 December 2010
A CHRISTMAS DIP IN THE SEA?
One thing I've always promised myself I would do one year, is to have a dip in the sea on Christmas Day. Mrs Troy's mother did it several years ago but all I did then was watch safely from the beach as upward of a hundred people stripped off their winter clothes and ran down into the waves. Here's the photo I took at Clacton-On-Sea on Christmas Day in, I think, 2005.
At least the sun was shining and the sea was calm. Afterwards I wished that I too had taken the plunge.
Now let's jump foward five years to 2010. I was determined this year that I too would plunge into the sea on Christmas Day. The event was taking place as usual at Clacton and, even more local to my home, a charitable sea swim had been organised at Felixstowe. In fact all around the British coast similar events were taking place. I decided however that I would prefer to do my Christmas Day swim more discretely in a small cove rather than on a crowded town beach. I suppose I was concerned not to make a fool of myself if I chickened out seconds after my toes first entered the water. The secluded cove I chose does not even feature by name on even detailed Ordinance Survey maps but locally it is called "Anchor Beach".
I suspect many people in Suffolk are unaware of its existance. Certainly I wasn't expecting a large throng of people dressed in their warm winter clothes on hand to witness my Christmas dip. What I hadn't bargained on was the weather! On Christmas Day morning I switched on the TV and selected the News Channel. In big bold letters across the bottom of the screen it said THE BIG FREEZE. Unprecedented low temperatures were being reported across the UK. At this point you are probably expecting me to chicken out?
Troy is not one to be deterred by TV headlines. Once I've made my mind up there is no stopping me. So I hurried down to the cove, stripped down to my swimming shorts and plunged into the sea. It was invigorating and I would recommend it to everyone. After a few minutes in the sea I also had a swim in an outdoor swimming pool. I don't have any photos to show you of my sea plunge but I do have a picture of the sea cove taken a couple of days before Christmas and also a picture of me swimming in the outdoor pool on Christmas Day.
Troy, being sensible, waited until spending Christmas in Lanzarote before having a Christmas Day dip in the sea. Surely you didn't expect ME to do it in the UK? After my dip, Father Christmas came to visit the Troy family on a camel.
I hope you all had a great Christmas and as this will be my last posting of 2010, I wish you all a happy, healthy and enjoyable 2011.
At least the sun was shining and the sea was calm. Afterwards I wished that I too had taken the plunge.
Now let's jump foward five years to 2010. I was determined this year that I too would plunge into the sea on Christmas Day. The event was taking place as usual at Clacton and, even more local to my home, a charitable sea swim had been organised at Felixstowe. In fact all around the British coast similar events were taking place. I decided however that I would prefer to do my Christmas Day swim more discretely in a small cove rather than on a crowded town beach. I suppose I was concerned not to make a fool of myself if I chickened out seconds after my toes first entered the water. The secluded cove I chose does not even feature by name on even detailed Ordinance Survey maps but locally it is called "Anchor Beach".
I suspect many people in Suffolk are unaware of its existance. Certainly I wasn't expecting a large throng of people dressed in their warm winter clothes on hand to witness my Christmas dip. What I hadn't bargained on was the weather! On Christmas Day morning I switched on the TV and selected the News Channel. In big bold letters across the bottom of the screen it said THE BIG FREEZE. Unprecedented low temperatures were being reported across the UK. At this point you are probably expecting me to chicken out?
Troy is not one to be deterred by TV headlines. Once I've made my mind up there is no stopping me. So I hurried down to the cove, stripped down to my swimming shorts and plunged into the sea. It was invigorating and I would recommend it to everyone. After a few minutes in the sea I also had a swim in an outdoor swimming pool. I don't have any photos to show you of my sea plunge but I do have a picture of the sea cove taken a couple of days before Christmas and also a picture of me swimming in the outdoor pool on Christmas Day.
Troy, being sensible, waited until spending Christmas in Lanzarote before having a Christmas Day dip in the sea. Surely you didn't expect ME to do it in the UK? After my dip, Father Christmas came to visit the Troy family on a camel.
I hope you all had a great Christmas and as this will be my last posting of 2010, I wish you all a happy, healthy and enjoyable 2011.
Friday, 26 November 2010
A BROAD CURRICULUM
I've seen a lot of discussion in the newspapers about the pros and cons of the SATS tests in schools. Apparently, some schools focus very much on teaching to the test rather than offering a broad curriculum to their pupils. Troy Junior, at his school, I'm pleased to say, enjoys a broad curriculum with enrichment activities and school trips.
Recently Troy Junior's Year 5 class have been learning about our solar system. A recent homework was to choose an element of the solar system (sun, planets, comets etc.) and produce a factual document, poster or presentation on it. Troy Junior chose the sun and diligently researched it.
This week he comes home from school and asks us this question - "What is the hottest part of the sun". After we didn't answer he told us "Page 3". I asked him what was hot about Page 3. He replied with a cheeky grin and a cupping action with his hands.
I don't read The Sun, preferring the sober Daily Telegraph. However I am pleased my son shares my interest in astronomy and heavenly bodies.
(If any readers from outside the UK remain confused by this post, you may enjoy this link)
Recently Troy Junior's Year 5 class have been learning about our solar system. A recent homework was to choose an element of the solar system (sun, planets, comets etc.) and produce a factual document, poster or presentation on it. Troy Junior chose the sun and diligently researched it.
This week he comes home from school and asks us this question - "What is the hottest part of the sun". After we didn't answer he told us "Page 3". I asked him what was hot about Page 3. He replied with a cheeky grin and a cupping action with his hands.
I don't read The Sun, preferring the sober Daily Telegraph. However I am pleased my son shares my interest in astronomy and heavenly bodies.
(If any readers from outside the UK remain confused by this post, you may enjoy this link)
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