I have just read The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guinn. The book details the circumstances leading up to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. There are various strands which lead up to the gunfight. The ambitions of the Earp family to find their fortunes. The similar aims of other lawmen, ranchers and cowboys. The play of politics in the election of officials (sheriffs had responsibility for collecting taxes for which they kept a percentage), philosophical views of governance (too much or not enough government) and the desire of the Tombstone businessmen to have a nice town whilst still parting rowdy cowboys from their money. The gunfight produced the immediate deaths of Billy Clanton and Tom and Frank McLaury. The Earps came out of the inquest with their actions being excusable and justifiable by law. The gunfight and the inquest did not stop the animosity between the Earps, Clantons and the cowboys. The book infers that the Earps finally lost patience with their enemies, tracked them down and executed them. In most cases this was permissible as there were outstanding warrants against their enemies. The book has a number of interesting vignettes but my favourite quote is from the historian John E. Ferling “events by themselves are unimportant; it is the perception of events that is crucial”. The shoot out was an arrest gone wrong and the result of complicated social, economic and political issues which left eight men dangerously mistrustful of each other. A very good read and a healthy antidote to the glamourisation of the Wild West.
Author: Brian Riley
What No Bunting!
We have no street bunting in Hadleigh for the Queen’s Jubilee.
According to the Suffolk Free Press Town Clerk has said that “the authority has been informed the bunting was not allowed in the (High) street which is a conservation area, for fear of the damage it would cause to historic buildings. Under health & safety regulations, and due to the listed buildings we can’t put the bunting up”.
But yesterday the E.A.D.T. reported that the Town Clerk had confirmed that the reports were simply untrue. Instead “It would be physically impossible to attach it (the bunting) at a high enough level for vehicles including big lorries that regularly use the road to avoid it. Meanwhile the Town has commissioned the local Brownie and Guide groups to design and make bunting which will be zig-zagged across the street this week end when it is closed to traffic. If this is logistically impossible it will be draped from the buildings instead”.
Apparently Long Melford which is equally historic has bunting. There is no across the street bunting in Hadleigh but plenty on our buildings.
The newspaper advertising boards say it all:
On the Buses
For som
e time, Simon Wills, Shelley Pingo, Kathryn Grandon and I have been agitating for Suffolk County Council to restore the subsidy which was previously given to the later evening bus services from Ipswich to Hadleigh. Simon provided the legal research and a lot of lobbying muscle, Shelley collected over 3,750 signatures and Kathryn & I provided our political skills and connections in getting the idea in front of the right people. The funding was withdrawn last year and the bus operator stopped operating the service. Since that time Hadleigh has faced an evening curfew and has been marooned on Sundays and Bank Holidays. On these days we could be a desert island as far as public transport collectively is concerned. This has had social, educative, community and economic consequences for Hadleigh. Our residents have no local train options, entertainment options or higher education options. To take the train, visit the cinema, attend college and many other things residents have to visit Ipswich. And if that involves a journey after 6 p.m., they are stuck. Such opportunities are open to those who have access to a car. Suffolk County Council allowed us to speak to the Council on Thursday. I was delegated to do the deliver my speech of a lifetime. Thankfully the Council had listened to our earlier presentations and have agreed to a trial six month restoration of the later evening, Sunday and Bank Holiday bus services. This will aid economic recovery , enhance sustainable growth and plug the social gaps.
Because whether you are in catering, retail, hospitality, leisure, medical or manufacturing work patterns require you to be able to get home after six fifteen in the evening! We need the bus service – otherwise we are cut off from economic development, educational opportunity and enhanced leisure activity. Thankfully from August onwards we shall be back on the road after 6.15 in the evenings.
Well done, Suffolk County Council.
Cat People vs Dog People
MindJet is a planning software company, probably best known for MindMaps which I often use for event and other planning. Their blog http://blog.mindjet.com/2012/05/between-fluffy-and-rover-cat-people-vs-dog-people discusses personal styles of analysis, planning and problem solving based on the characteristics of dogs and cats. The following is an extract from their blog There are clear personality differences between the species that, in turn, attract different types of owners (or guardians, to use a more pet-centric locution).
Both in the wild and at home, cats are solitary creatures most active at dawn and dusk. During the day, cats often seem indifferent to your presence. While cats enjoy playing with their owners or with other cats, their interest is often limited. Cats are aloof creatures who enjoy their personal space and dislike orders. Many will look at you with condescending pity if you command them to “sit” or “lie down.” Many—but certainly not all—cat owners are predisposed to solitary, intellectual pursuits that require a minimal amount of human interaction. At work, cat owners may prefer closed-door offices and minimal interruptions Dogs, like their wild canine ancestors, are sociable pack animals. Without daily walks, hour-long stick throwing-and-retrieving sessions and ample belly-rubbing, dogs will become surly, morose and prone to dig out your flower bed. Still, there is always a quiet dignity about dogs and an admirable sense of loyalty, which is why they are often referred to as “man’s best friend.” Many dog owners are social individuals who value time spent amongst their friends and peers. At work, they may prefer open office spaces with plenty of room for interaction and group projects. On the weekend, they may escape the confines of the city for the wild open spaces of the country. Dog people are often described as jocular, engaging and outgoing, and not at all opposed to being scratched behind the ear.
Hadleigh Show
Today is the day of the Hadleigh Show. A great day out. But the foundation of the Show is its agricultural underpinnings and the countryside it supports. More details can be found on http://www.hadleighshow.co.uk/
After the Floods
Today is the day of the Hadleigh Show. There has been much discussion as to whether the ground would be too soft for the fair and other heavy footprint machinery. But the rain held off and in the afternoon it was quite sunny. The River Brett is back to normal as the following show:
Spanish Practices
Early in 2010 Babergh District Council decided that it was time that we had a formal Treasury Policy. We had avoided placing surplus funds with the Icelandic banks and it was right that the Council formalised its deposit placing policy. A consultant’s report was commissioned and presented to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Stewardship). Strangely it suggested that placing deposits with Spanish banks would meet the Council’s requirements for prudency. There was a fair amount of argument and full Council finally decided that if the Consultant said so, it must be OK! No suggestion that there were other persons on the council who were equally in tune with economic trends and who thought that the Spanish economy was over ripe. Within three weeks of the Council’s decision the Spanish economy was downgraded and any deposit placing with any branch or subsidiary of Santander was prohibited.
Where Babergh leads other Councils follow. The digital version of MJ (presumably an updated name for the Municipal Journal) reports that “Several local authorities are considering whether to deposit money with the British arm of Spain’s biggest bank Santander, amid fears about the weakness of the Spanish economy”.
The full article can be found on http://www.themj.co.uk/MemberPages/Subscribe/article.aspx?id=188729
It’s hard to be humble!
Rain & Floods
Thursday was quite heavy with rain. The River Brett overflowed its banks at various places around Hadleigh. By Friday the waters were still fast flowing but had abated a bit. The photo’s were all taken around 11 a.m.
Standards
Last week the Joint Standards Committee of Babergh and Mid Suffolk issued an Advice Note “‘Blogging’ & Social Network Sites”. Nearly five hundred words of what should be obvious. Of course we all have to observe the Seven Principles of Public Life; selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership.
However, some of the advice seems to encourage an atmosphere where personalities and policies do not matter and thus honest debate is silenced. For example:
- make political points, but be careful not to be too specific or personal if referring to individuals
- general comments about another political party or genuine political expression are less likely to be disrespectful than comments directed towards or about an individual
Where is t
he respect for the people when their representative is hypocritical, misleading or less than competent. Local politics like many organisations can be maelstrom of ideas being advanced and like it or not it can be a zero sum game. If there is only a limited amount of money to be distributed why should monies go to the Dance East Boys in Babergh programme in preference to Home-Start Babergh? The Boys in Babergh programme speaks for itself. Home-Start Babergh is an independent charity that operates as part of Home-Start UK. They recruit, train and provide volunteers that work with families in times of need.
More importantly their support is given through home visits by volunteers and through support group meetings, where children can play together, supervised by a play leader, whilst parents meet with each other and with Home-Start staff. In many cases, their support is complementary to that of the professional agencies. Their volunteers are there for the family as a friend and confidant during a time of stress or difficulty. See: http://www.home-startbabergh.co.uk/.
Similarly why should the Dance East Boys in Babergh programme take precedence over the Kernos Centre. It provides counselling and support services to people with emotional and psychological difficulties from a wide variety of causes.
One of the main aims of counselling is to guide people from feeling victims of circumstance to feeling they have some control over our lives. See: http://www.kernos.org/
So, returning to the advice from the Joint Standards Committee: I hear what they say but it will not stop me from speaking out in a forthright and robust manner when I deem it appropriate.
Dusty the dog is man’s best friend
A happy story to brighten your day.
The EADT reports (Matt Hunter Wednesday, April 18, 2012 9.00 AM ) as follows:
The saying goes that a dog is a man’s best friend – and in one Suffolk village those words are particularly true. Jason Bloomfield, of Creeting St Mary, is celebrating after he was allowed to keep the puppy he saved from an A14 lay-by bin last month. The council worker discovered the aptly-named Dusty during one of his shifts but had an anxious 28-day wait before he knew whether he could keep the pup. It remains a mystery as to how Dusty ended up in the bin but it is believed his previous owners must have dumped him there. He said: “When they said he could stay we had a little party and a get-together to mark the day. “I walk him every morning at 5.30am and he’s up waiting for me – he’s an energetic little dog. Everyone takes a liking to him, he’s a lovely old boy. “He is absolutely brilliant, he loves his ball. I think he has done a little bit of training, he comes bounding back all day. I love him to bits.” Mr Bloomfield will take Dusty to the vets in Stowmarket to be vaccinated and micro-chipped in the next few days. “He does miss me during the day,” he said. “He knows exactly when I’m coming home, he gets up and goes to the door at 4pm. “He loves getting on my lap but if I’ve got tea he looks up to see if he can come up – but he won’t until I tell him.” Dusty and Jason have now become local celebrities, with people approaching them in the street to see how the pair are. “It’s weird being famous, I go into the dentists and Asda and they say, ‘tell us about the little dog’. “I find that everyone seems to know me at lots of places, they say ‘you’re the bloke off the telly’.”
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/creeting_st_mary_dusty_the_dog_is_man_s_best_friend_1_1351915
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