Tuesday 30 June 2009

Clinic campaign continued!

We recently received through the letter box a leaflet from Malling Health “Introducing four new doctors’ surgeries opening in our area” Little note at the bottom telling us these practises are all in the Sandwell Primary Care Trust area.
The back page tells us these practises are in Great Bridge, Langley Rood End, High Bullen in Wednesbury and Parsonage St. Health centre in West Brom. Hardly local by any stretch of the imagination. I suppose if you work or go to school near one of these sites it’s OK but certainly not for most folk who live in Newton Ward.
I wrote and complained to the PCT about this and the other issues surrounding health care in Great Barr & Newton. I was recently advised that the Chair and Chief Exec of PCT will be attending the next meeting of our local community forum and that this was the best place (their view not mine) to talk about the issues I raised. I would of course disagree with that and I have written and told them. This will change nothing unless they have some practical suggestions about a site in Newton and a recovery plan.
In a recent letter to our MP the Chief Exec of the PCT does imply that detailed consideration is being given to our first choice site of Tanhouse Community Centre and they appear to be working with local authority colleagues and that as this work develops it will be necessary to consult with a range of stakeholders. I wonder what this really means? More to come I'm sure.

Monday 29 June 2009

The 11th commandment.

In our family it’s “Thou shalt not upset Nan (Mum or the wife)” This is not out of fear but love and respect. (This will never get past my censor but worth a try.) I’ve never been much good at discipline especially with my kids, and grandkids, well forget it. The misses though she does it with an ease which is a true skill. Rarely a hard word just a look and reasoned argument and she gets her way. She is the true leader of the family group yet the rest don’t even realise it. In a crisis she is the one we turn to. I did a little poem a few years ago dedicated to her: -

“When Granny Gets Grumpy”

When Granny gets grumpy you better look out,
she has been know to scream and shout.
Its Granddads fault you should know,
with coffee and crumpets he’s very slow
He has been known to read the news,
and once in a while to take a snooze.
The grandkids are noisy and run about,
but granny would never ever shout.
The grandkids go deaf when asked to clean up,
at ice cream or chocolate their ears prick up.
They leave clothes and toys lying around,
criticism from grandma will never be found.
She`s kind and loving and sometimes stern,
in times of crisis to Grandma we turn.
She’s nurse and cook and mentor too,
the soul of our family through and through.
Please treat your grandma with loving care.
for her family she will always be there.
So if your custard or gravy starts to get lumpy,
you can be sure your grandma is grumpy
To me she’s a wife and best pal by far,
with all my love, XXX from grandpa

PS censor approved.

Saturday 27 June 2009

granddad grrrrrrrrr from across the pond

4 d grandkids
I’m granddad grrrrrrrrrrr from across the pond
To both of you I admit to being quite fond
Your lives are full and active, I’m glad
when you forget to email I really feel sad
The problem is easy and simple to mend
Get on the computer write, click and “send”
I’ll get your message the very next day
With all your greetings and what you say
So come on Lola & Oscar start writing to me
We could send it in poetry for just us to see.

Thursday 25 June 2009

Granddad grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

My new nickname. I know you can’t believe it, how could anyone with an easy going manner such as mine (am I still on planet earth?) get a nick name like that. Well its easy have grandkids on the other side of the pond. We skype regularly and email but recently despite them being at home with mum they “forgot” to email granddad (can you believe that?). My early morning computing sessions just lacked their input.
Eventually I sent them a sweet little email telling them I was mad, not the kind of mad that men in white coats come and take me away but the other kind. I signed of with luv granddad grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Now when they talk or write to me its, dear granddad grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Many happy returns to?

My earlier post on this subject sort of exhausted me emotionally for a while. I’m still not sure whether it was the right thing to do.
When I was diagnosed we took a decision to be open about the problem and we notified all our close family and friends by phone or by email partly because we had learned how simple the test was for the disease and we wanted to make sure that everyone likely to be affected could get tested. One of my wife’s cousins showed positive and he has since had successful surgery. He was pretty grateful that we told him about it.
Only a couple of people were what you could call malicious about it and although I am trying to forgive them I’m finding it hard.
Most people have been respectful of our wishes and very helpful. It is this helpful aspect that got me thinking about the coming anniversary. I need to say thank you in some way. To the friend who’s church regularly pray for me, to my mate the fellow sufferer who is now my mentor, to the friend who took over a big chunk of my voluntary work so that I could concentrate on some important national issues, to my oldest friends who live close by and are there when we need them. They put up my Christmas lights to greet me when I came out of hospital. And to my friends who supplied me with a wheel chair when I was having difficulty walking. These and other acts of kindness have touched me deeply. There are many more of course and the single acts of kindness mentioned are not the only things these friends are doing. It’s great to have them around as friends. Thank you all so much, we could not have done what Pat & I have achieved over the last couple of years without you.
Post approved by my editor in chief.

Tuesday 23 June 2009

4 D grandkids

At this time of year they are getting their exam results and as grandson is in his first year at his new school we were a little nervous at how he is getting on. The granddaughter who is in her third year we know is doing exceptionally well but the grandson not so sure about. They are my youngest daughter’s children I mention this here because of what follows. How did you get on in maths I asked? I got an A; grandson replied followed by how much he hated maths. I enquired about German? A; again. This went on for a few more subjects and I start to pretend to tease him by yawning and claiming it was getting boring. “It’s in your genes” I told him. “I know I get it from my Dad” he said with that cheeky smile of his.

Monday 22 June 2009

Fathers day

And I forgot! Well I did, but youngest daughter and grandkids did not. It’s nice to get little presents on these special days. I got a new broom (yes that’s right a broom) and a box of jelly babies which granddaughter tucked into. The card was from the cancer charity we now support. The broom was because my wife told them I had been complaining about the worn and miserable state our existing brooms were in. Did I get the brush off? Or is that joke a little stale. I’m bristling with fun today.
PS the misses recons I’m going for a ride around our estate on it later.

Saturday 20 June 2009

Many happy returns?

It is coming up to two years since this wretched illness I am having to live with was diagnosed. A nasty shock I can tell you. Because it was diagnosed by a non specialist I never got any info on the condition only referred to a specialist for the following week. That week end was dreadful for Pat and for me. I spent time on the internet trying to learn about it but the stuff available on line scared me stiff. Yes it was serious in fact it was as serious as you can get. Going through our minds was how long have I got and I suppose the position in that respect has not changed. Pat spent the weekend watching my every breath while I was sleeping thinking it was going to be my last.
Although the diagnosis was 100% certain there was still a lot of tests to establish how aggressive it was and how far it had spread. My prognosis numbers kept coming up on the wrong end of the scale so the outlook was not good. “We can’t cure it but we can control it” they assured me I would get a lot less aches and pains once the drugs started to work. I asked several times the real question we wanted answering “how long have I got” None of the clinicians involved with my care will answer the question. At the time I never understood why but I do now.
Cllr. Bill Archer in his mayoral year had used some of his charity fund raising cash to start a support group for this condition. He was a fellow suffer who had been cured. The wife and I attended the first meeting of the group which coincided with confirmation of my diagnosis.
I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and still in a lot of pain because the drugs had not kicked in. The group were asking for members to state what skills they had that could help to run the group. I can remember thinking I’m more than capable to do all of the main tasks in running a group like that but not sure to what extent my health will allow and there doesn’t seem much point if I’m not going to be around in a couple of months time.
I must have mentioned this to the group because during a sort of get to know one another session a guy came over and introduced himself. We talked for awhile and compared prognoses. His condition to start with was far worse than mine but the real eye opener was that he was 4years in and had been back at work for three years. We are now good friends and both regular members of the support group having helped each other and our wives through some difficult times during the last couple of years. One other person who must be mentioned when talking about our condition is the Macmillan nurse who is appointed as lead person in our care. She has become not just an advisor when things are a bit dodgy but a friend. She now refers to me and my mate has her star patients.
The life expectancy numbers obtained by dept of health are published by one of the charities: - two years, five years ten years in against each prognosis grade. Mine ain’t good so every day I now look upon as a bonus. I can remember as a kid the clock seemed to go faster when the school holidays arrived. Similarly when my kids were little those precious holidays the clock went even faster. When I retired someone wound it up because I never could understand how I found time to go to work. Now time seems like the Marriott Carts computer game my grandkids play when I’m riding an out of control car around a crazy track. I crash off (blood numbers all wrong) along come the specialists who put me back on. Trouble is the speed and controls haven’t changed.
I now live life on a six week cycle between blood tests and visits to the Oncologist. If things stay on track, fine, I’ll see you in six weeks if they’ve gone awry new treatment and who knows?
Just before my blood tests are due and my treatment week begins I become a little tense and short tempered. Sorry folks can’t help it the pressure gets to me.
Pat would like me to write up our experiences during this period because as she points out all the family are affected in some way. We’ve been asked by Macmillan and a couple of men’s health magazines for our story but they want it for free and for me it is a difficult thing to write because it’s so personal. It would also be very time consuming to do and it is time I don’t think I really have. So why am I writing it on my blog? I have no idea. When the editor in chief (Pat) gets it who knows it might not get published.
The upside of all this is that during the cycle I can live an active but not normal life. I need to take care in lifting and carrying and walking is difficult but almost everything else is OK. I might be ill but there’s nowt wrong with the grey matter.
Post approved by the misses.

Thursday 18 June 2009

A bit of politics. A bit of a rant.

I haven’t posted much lately on politics, local or otherwise because I suppose some of our local issues were more important. My regular readers (Thank you all so much) will know I am very much in the anti Brown camp. It is well documented on this blog my views on his pensions policies and his inability to connect with the people. I never thought he should have been appointed and throughout this painful premiership I have called for him to go. So now of all times when the world and his wife can see what a mess he has gotten us into am I not shouting “Go Gordon Go?”
The situation is a complex one. With less than a year to go before a general election to change leaders now would certainly mean an election would have to be called. One unelected leader perhaps, two the electorate would not accept it. I am traditionally a socialist and believe in labour values of fairness for all. A fair distribution of wealth looking after the poor and all that stuff but at the same time I also believe we need to address the bigger issues. For a short time at the G20 summit Gordon appeared to be such a leader. Sadly it only lasted a couple of days and we were back in the sewer pit of Westminster dithering and business as usual. If we had an election now the Tories would almost certainly win. Without any credible policies as far as I can see towards pensions and pensioners or any other areas for that matter. Sure David looks good in front of a camera and Gordon well you only have to watch his You Tube video to realise the amount of work needed. It’s a sad state of affairs for us pensioners we lost out with Gordon and I honestly can’t see how things are going to get better under David and Co.
With labour hierarchy defending with pride the pensions credit scheme with head in sand over all the other pension related issues, I despair.
Labour are in a no win situation, they can loose now with a change of leader or loose next year with Brown.
I was looking at the leadership possibilities and the top team and as I see it there are too many plumb in the gob over privileged Red Brick Uni educated members in it. Closet Tories pretending to be socialists. A cabinet of this ilk cannot truly reflect socialist values. The only member who I can see that might just get the party (not PLP but grass routes) behind him might be Alan Johnson. He is one of the group who is from grass routes but his recent behaviour makes me wonder why he never made a bid for the leadership. You would think that Brown’s background would have meant he would have represented true socialist values so my argument here falls flat on its face. Who will rise to save us from another 12 years of Toryism? The party conferences this year will be well worth a watch on TV.
What I see is sad is that I will never live to see another Labour government and how Brown has squandered the opportunity he had to make a real difference but it looks like we are stuck with him.
Best option might be for Alan to oust Brown just after the party conference. Immediately announce date for election maybe three months ahead. Quick regroup of team including as many new faces as possible with some real socialist policies and take it to the country with pride. I’d support that.
Ps must make sure Gordon gets his pension put on hold while we have an enquiry.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

I’m like a ferret.

Some years ago when I had a propa job we had a bad down turn in business and subsequently we had to loose some of the team. I can remember my then boss telling the team the news at our monthly team briefing. He described me has a ferret of a manager because he said I had managed to flush out every bit of obtainable business at that time. I don’t know what reminded me of that time but yesterday I realised that that is what is happening with the poster issue (post 8/6/2009). I’ve written to the council officer who I am being told made the decision not to display our poster to try to clarify the situation and get a copy of the procedure if there is one.
This action may upset a few people but I think it is essential if we are to move on with a clinic at the Community Centre. I’m ferreting again not for business this time but for answers. I bet some of my local enemies have better description for me. Any advance on bleeding nuisance? Awkward old git? Answers on a post card please.
If I’m wrong about this issue fine, I’ll put my hand up and apologise but if my suspicions are right we need to know. Whether I publish the result of my inquiries depends on the result but I would want to.

Monday 15 June 2009

Neighourhood Watch, Clinic Campaign & Such

I am amazed and delighted at the number of hits my little blog is getting. Thanks to the installation of Flag Counter I know geographical spread and numbers from UK which of course was where I wanted to target but it does not tell me the Sandwell area. Thank you all for logging on and taking an interest. I suspect some of the hits will have been people wanting to update on clinic campaign and perhaps NHW. Could the visitors from Burkina Faso please tell me where it is?
Knowing what your readership is is one thing, responding to it is another.
If during a Google search you enter Bob Black Country or Brummie I’m up there with the top hits so anyone interested in the wider Sandwell area might check it out. I started thinking over the week-end if I should change the policy of the blog. In reality I never had a policy as such. In fact when I started about 18mths ago I never expected to live this long let alone still be writing and although I say it myself “interesting stuff” The comments spot is poorly represented so perhaps the items I write are not worthy of comment or the blog is used for info only. Thanks to all of you who have commented. Your views are valued. During the time I have been doing this there have only been two comments I felt were not worthy of publication, a blatant advertisement and a rather rude comment from one of the supporters of a minor political party.
A recent comment though did get me thinking hard and that was the reference to me perhaps becoming paranoid about some issues. Thank you David for bringing it to my attention.
Because of recent newspaper interest in our clinic campaign local people are more aware of the issues surrounding Tanhouse and our clinic and I am now known as one of the people leading the campaign. I’ve listened to some of the gossip and scare stories that have been going around. No wonder people think it’s a rotten idea to have a clinic at Tanhouse the rumour mill is telling them that all other clubs etc will be closed. Even members of staff are not aware of the potential for the centre and community as a whole. I’m being told some horror stories about problems with doctor’s surgeries and new health centres in Sandwell not operating properly. I don’t really want to know because I have enough on my mind staying focused with our health centre or lack of one. So no I don’t think its paranoia its staying Focused.
I never wanted to become a champion of this or any other cause for that matter. I’m retired I just wanted to put my feet up and take things easy but circumstances conspired against me. Having become this involved though I will see it through to what I hope will be a satisfactory conclusion. Unless of course my health worsens and I have to take a back seat or the worse case scenario I have to pop off and meet my maker.
My quitting NHW had nothing to do with these issues. That role is one of the most thankless tasks you can imagine. Most of the time the majority of members are obliviously unaware of what is going on and just take the info that gets passed to them as a matter of course. We have had times when the police’s interest was nil and I have had to write to OCU commander. So no thanks from cops non from members, and agro to boot, why would anyone want to continue? I suppose I feel this a lot more than many coordinators because of the spokesperson activities I undertook. Freedom from that task will give me more time for other activities that do get appreciated and as such I have not yet reported on this blog.
The big issue I suppose is my health and one of the new interests for me is the support group for my condition. I don’t expect to report much on that though.

Thursday 11 June 2009

Neighbourhood watch

I founded and have acted has coordinator for our scheme for the last seven and a half years. The movement has developed a lot in that time. One of the key developments for me was when we formed ourselves into an association. All the local schemes joined. We have a proper constitution and funds. We elected a chair, a deputy (me) a secretary and a treasurer. In theory we run our meetings and the police are invited. It’s very rare for the police not to attend and often senior officers are present. Crime reports are, what you might expect, always a high priority agenda item.
About a year and a half ago our group decided it wanted to branch out and petition for road safety measures in our area. Traffic lights at two major dangerous junctions and traffic calming on another contentious stretch of dual carriageway were targeted. Good response to petitions and I eventually presented these to our Town Committee on behalf of the association. Funding for Red Route meant that the traffic light schemes can now go ahead. Sounds good you might think we should be proud of our achievement. Not so I’m afraid. One member fought strongly against the schemes in the letters column of our local paper and because I challenged his views he threatened me with legal action and slandered me in the press.
It now appears we have no procedure for censuring this behaviour and there are no facilities to protect coordinators/spokespersons from this kind of action. We are all volunteers and as such should not be expected to have to deal with this should it happen out of our own pockets.
Our watch area became a safer place to live because of the scheme, we virtually had no crime for the past seven and a half years and people got to know each other. We became a community which was looking out for each other. I was very sad then to have to come to the conclusion that because of this threat it was time for me to quit. Last week I gave my neighbours and the association three months notice of my intention to stand down. This should be long enough to elect a new coordinator which I sincerely hope they do. It should also stimulate the association to strengthen its rules to prevent this kind of thing happening again.
I just wonder if there have been other examples of coordinators getting into trouble and how they were dealt with.

Monday 8 June 2009

Political Posters


What is Political about this poster?
Apparently political posters can’t be displayed at council run community centres. So, what is political about this poster? No political parties mentioned, just a simple request to anyone interested to come along and lobby their MP. You have to ask the question where does politics end and where does manipulation start. I could not get to the bottom of who rejected our poster but it never got displayed. There are three possibilities.
1) local management of centre could be concerned about their jobs and never actually submitted the poster to higher authority for clearance,
2) Centre management committee chair or vice chair could have rejected it,
3) could have been passed to next stage line management for approval and he/she could have rejected it.

Question I am asking is who did reject it and why? Call me paranoid if you like but I have the feeling some slight of hand is going on here with vested interests against a clinic on Tanhouse site getting involved.
I’m asking my councillors to look into the issue. At least we can have the policy for displaying posters at the centre clearly published. If there is one I’d like to see it displayed clearly because a poster for another group I’m involved with has been removed and this was about activities for older people.
We didn’t do much canvassing really for people to come along and lobby their MP but I did talk to few people who I thought might be interested. There was the knowledgeable who said something like “sure it’s about time something was done on this side of the borough. The couldn’t care less who said something like narr mate it ain’t gunna appen here anyway. And then there was the nervous “I don’t know about protesting it’s not good for you” types. The best put offs I had were “I don’t know I might have to go to me brother in laws on Saturday” and “ the wife and I are not natural protestors” I had a few “off on me hols” and various social events but the not natural protestors won for me. Nought as queer as folk eh?



Sunday 7 June 2009

MP Lobbied

I was very pleased and surprised by the number of people who turned up yesterday to lobby our MP Tom Watson for better health facilities in Great Barr. Despite the fact it was chucking it down with rain we had about thirty I think (I never counted and it was a fluid situation). The really good news though is that all our local political parties were involved. The Tories who previously had not participated sent along the leader of their group with another councillor and the prospective candidate for our ward. We were also supported by Labours prospective candidate and by our Labour councillor and Liberal Democrats. A lot of ordinary people like me expressed their concerns about what is going on. Tom was greeted by chants of ”where’s our clinic” It was a bit of a cock up on the organisational front though because some folk came early as did Tom who wanted to get on with what looked like a busy surgery and some folk came late. So unfortunately a lot of supporters missed the photo spot for which I apologise. Tom did an excellent job and although it is a serious situation it was dealt with very sympathetically. Our banners were very colourful and to the point, I’ll keep them just in case we have to go to the next stage which if I’m honest is not what I want.
A successful morning I think. Let’s just hope it is enough to change the minds of our PCT. It’s difficult with an enormous organisation like that to get it to change course. It’s a bit like trying to turn a supertanker in the Thames once its course has been set and clearly ours has, but turn it must. I’ll try and publish a couple of pictures later in the week. Much more to say on this subject.

Saturday 6 June 2009

We can’t save your bacon now Rob

Article in the Express & Star 5/6/2009 concerning our fight for better health care facilities in Great Barr. Good story this and pretty accurate precursor to our lobby of our MP. Headline: - Parties unite to call for surgery and clinic.Labour and Lib Dems coming together to fight for much needed and overdue clinic”.

The reply from Robert Bacon chief Exec of the PCT is published (left). It’s the usual standard learned off by heart, heard it before, stuff.
It shows very clearly he has little idea of what is happening over here in Newton and I should like to point out to him again the flaws in his response. Four GP practises would just about cover the area if they were geographically in the right place. Unfortunately three quarters of them are on the wrong side of the canal leaving one practise to service the whole of south west side of the Ward. The plans he mentioned for delivering a new health care facility in the area by the end of 2011 are running three years late we have it in writing from him to West Brom Town Committee that work would start on this facility by March 2009. He mentions that these plans have been subject to wide consultation and this has included continuing discussion with Great Barr & Newton Community Forum. His idea of wide consultation and mine are miles apart. Yes they have talked to the forum mentioned but it is not representative of the demography of the area and it is not an elected body. The PCT do not regularly send a representative only a report with an apology which is often just a replay of what we already know. What our MP & Councillors are doing now is telling the PCT how it really is. They know from questionnaires that have been carried out during election campaigns and from door step canvassing and listening to their constituents how important this health facility is to our area.
The excuse of looking at sites and rejecting them will not play any longer. Tell us these sites, let’s go along and review them. No more bullshit about commercial sensitivity. The strategy of delaying the project only brings the spectre of the new clinic going to Aston or Handsworth closer. We believe this is the PCT preferred option because it would shift the responsibility to Heart of Birmingham PCT this option is totally unacceptable to us.
So Rob you have little choice as far as I’m concerned. You have and are failing the people of Great Barr and you must now consider your position. You are not listening. I have tried several times to draw your attention to this only to have been ignored.
Just in case he misses the blog I’ll email a copy to his boss.


Friday 5 June 2009

Clinic campaign update

Tomorrow (Saturday 6th June) the Campaign for Better Health Facilities in Great Barr will be lobbying our MP Tom Watson at his surgery at Tanhouse Community Centre Hamstead Road Great Barr at 11:30 am. All are welcome especially a spokesperson from PCT.
Update on this on Monday but it should be an interesting morning.

Thursday 4 June 2009

This really annoys me

Express and Star- Saturday 30th May 2009

New doctor surgeries to open doors. Three new family doctor surgeries and a new walk-in centre will open in a Black Country borough on Monday- providing 18,000 extra places for new patients. It is the first time for more than five years that Sandwell has seen an increase in family doctor provision. The practices will be based in Wednesbury Leisure Centre, High Bullen, the Malling Health Centre in Parsonage Street, West Bromwich and at Warley Rugby Football club in Western Road. Dr Simon Mitchell, director of Clinical Development and Quality for Sandwell Primary Care Trust said: “patients in Sandwell have often told us that they have difficulty accessing their family doctor. We are now delighted to be able to offer them a greater choice of services.”
Our campaign for better health facilities in Great Barr is getting close to having its first “event” I must phone our PCT sometime today to let them know details so that if they wish they can send along a spokesperson to explain why our clinic is three years late with no recovery plan.

Wednesday 3 June 2009

Crime of the century

I went into West Brom yesterday afternoon. It was a wonderfully warm and sunny afternoon with hardly motor vehicle in sight and few pedestrians for that matter. To get into the car park near our flag ship arts building THE PUBLIC you have to do a little detour around the side roads. Yesterday I decided to take a “short cut” and go about twenty yards the wrong way past a no entry sign to get into the car park. What I did not know was that the anti Christ were out in force in and around the car park. One traffic warden almost ran over to advise me what I had done. You went the wrong way up a one way street mate. I know I said. Now this floored him. They are used to dealing with confrontation not submissive old blokes. My back was hurting it was really hot and I was having to use my walking stick. Having parked in a disabled bay I was just getting out of the car when he stopped me. After accepting I knew I had committed an offence he felt it his duty to lecture me on my driving. Such phrases as you need to drive more carefully mate and you need to take more care. He then advised me it was a 60 quid fine and 6 points on my licence. I reminded him very politely that as I knew I was committing an offence I had to be driving carefully to do it safely. Again this did not quite register with him and he reminded me again of the penalty for my crime. As the lecture went on I looked at my walking stick and looked at him. The thought crossed my mind that if he did not shut up soon I would deposit my walking stick somewhere the sun don’t shine. Traffic wardens cannot give tickets for this kind of offence so I smiled sweetly, told him if I got a ticket I would happily pay the fine and prepared to leave when he came up with his trump card. It’s the police station over there mate with a camera on the front monitoring you. 60 quid fine and 6 points on the licence. He walked off with a self centred smile on his face. I just wonder if my misdemeanour has been caught on camera and the cops have nothing better to do than monitor the car park entrance. I’ll let you know if they get me. While in West Brom a street fight broke out between two blokes who were really laying into each other. Not a cop in sight. Umm I wonder are they all sitting watching CCTV?

Tuesday 2 June 2009

Flag counter

I’m impressed, I only put Flag Counter on the blog on 28th May and very pleased with the number of hits. Youngest daughter! Dad is not writing to himself after all. So call off the men in white coats. OK I give you it’s not the biggest audience in the world but it works for me and I have had a big increase in comments lately and you must admit it is sorta keeping me out of trouble, or is it? The health clinic issue could get me into difficulties with the cops and local authority and I don’t suppose our PCT are going to be too happy. Ah well never mind my job ain’t on the line but the head of PCT’s is.

Monday 1 June 2009

Clinic update

A little protest meeting is being organised. Date and time will be released later in the week. We don’t want to disrupt the community by bringing traffic to a halt or anything drastic like that but a big enough targeted protest so that the PCT know we have not gone away. I’ll be emailing all political parties involved so that we can be sure of all support along with members of public concerned about health care in our area.
I’m calling the campaign “The Campaign for Better Health Facilities in Great Barr” not what you might call original or inspirational but it does what it says on the tin. I’m sure if we have to expand the campaign we will come up with a better battle cry but for now it’ll do.