Malcolm Robinson

En plus...... Heureusement que c'est le DEBUT du 21eme siècle, cela veut tout simplement dire que la France n'a pas brisé son engagement et n'a pas quitté son ex colonie en détruisant tout sur son passage ! De plus, considérant l'accord de la proposition, nous pourrions insérer un bouton sur tous les avions Français et les missiles Exocet pour qu'ils soient vendus aux autres gouvernements étrangers mais si nous nous trouverions en face d'eux encore une fois, nous pourrions appuyer sur le bouton afin de briser l'engagament sans la perte de vies.

Pete's new badge.........

A bit of craft homework...........

Number 9 on the list of 'highest redundancy payments'? http://www.channel4.com/news/council-spending-revealed-ahead-of-cuts

Seems we preempted Channel 4? http://www.channel4.com/news/council-spending-reveals-money-mismanagement

Frog joining with a bulldog, that'll be a bullfrog then..........

Well that looks like proof positive there is Lynx on the Bedlington golf course!

Detailed planning permission is going through now I think Hillbilly. I think it is fairly certain it will go ahead.

TT, I think this is something which in an era of austerity and cut backs we really need to sort out. The level of misinformation and ignorance (I am not having a go at any posting here in fact I would include myself in this) is huge. More than half the county budget is ring-fenced for the likes of education, health, emergency services etc, but what is the rest used for? I take an interest in this stuff and I can't give a definitive answer. Maybe one of our county councillors might like to elucidate? I have recently questioned the Leader of the County about this, I think he thought I was having a go but I wasn't, I just think engaging with 'knowledgeable' rate payers would be the way to go, given that we are facing massive cuts in budgets which will inevitably lead to cuts in service provision. Maybe we don't want some of the services County currently provide, maybe we want some tailored differently, maybe we are willing to pay for new ones? Without an open, informed and frank debate we will never know.

Vic, I think the first part of your post highlights the massive problem of building cost inflation, especially revamp costings. In fact the argument that it is cheaper to build new than renovate is being used at Ashington to justify them getting a new leisure centre! As for distances to neighbouring facilities then about 5-8 miles in just about any direction. There is an argument bandied around that by us not having our own leisure facility we pay less local rates but then we have to consider we now pay a flat rate countywide and the town councils as yet haven't taken over the facilities in their own patches so their parish precepts don't reflect that anyway. I would say the way it is set up, that argument doesn't hold water, in fact the opposite is true that by having no local facility we are subsidising others! But that's been the case since Adam was a laddie! I think it would almost certainly be the case if we ever get some sort of facility there would need to be a charge on our local (parish) rates to help towards running costs. Of course users have to take some of the financial responsibilities and pay a sensible amount for their usage. That as well as making a unit fit for as many usages as possible, like your postings shows, is the way to make a facility as sustainable as is possible in this day and age. One of the advantages of a school based facility is that you get buy in by the school and that goes a long way towards sustainability. If you guys can do that with your population figures I don't see why we can't do something similar with a population figure in excess of 5 times yours!

Terrier_Tez, A sports centre has long been an aspiration for Bedlington, it would seem Ashington and Newbiggin were found more deserving!!!!! Bedlington Forum pushed this as much as possible with the result Go-Wansbeck came up with some funding, earlier this year, to do a feasibility study. That study had to look at all aspects, with an important one being financial sustainability. It reported that even if it was built with grant funding it wouldn't be financially viable insofar as operating costs went. Fall-back position was to develop units within school grounds which could be accessed by the community at out of school times, evenings, weekends and school holidays. In fact there was a project on the table already. This was quashed when the new Academy School replacing the High School was proposed and best option then was to try and make sure the sports facilities which would have been brand new there were done in such a way as to make community access easily possible. That Academy idea has gone by the boards now so basically we are back to square one. Well not exactly there are some people still working on the original concept although it probably won't be a multi-use facility now, more likely a single sport facility. I think your post highlights another important area worthy of consideration, youth provision within Bedlington or the lack of it. We really need to get this sorted out, it's all very well saying the kids are making a nuisance of themselves hanging around the streets and back alleyways but they really don't have much option.

:lol: Except we wont be playing for 'cash', chips only......?

Mr D, I think if you read monsta's posting carefully it would seem more aimed at the game itself and not your intent per say? Also the emoticon used left no doubt it was a jokey reply. Again you seem to have a problem with mods posting? It would quickly become a pretty sterile environment if a, they were not allowed to post opinions and b, everyone couldn't get a flavour of the personality behind the posts. I think if they abuse their position with regard to a topic that's a different matter but I don't think anyone can make that case. Merlin, The blue lights will be off the police escort needed for the cash van when I take my winnings away!

Thanks for such a considered reply Mr D. Firstly I think you have to admit mods have the same right to express opinions as any other member. That being the case you then have to consider the 'personality' and their particular ways of expression as would be exactly the case if they weren't mods. That would be best case, however you will know there are many times mods have to bite their tongues, that just the nature of the game. I really don't want to get into the recent 'have a go at the mods' scenario which has developed but when things burst into flames someone has to be standing with a bucket of water, when they throw it is up to them, how well they do can only be judged by the audience not the protagonists. If the site is to develop and succeed any and all ideas have to be taken at face value, if a community site starts to make arbitrary decisions without reference to its core clientele there is only one likely outcome. Therefore any ideas should be given consideration; you might have to debate the point to make it mind depending on how controversial it might be. Let's take your 'poker night', not forgetting I have signed up to it! It goes up on, basically, a public platform; hardly surprising people with no intention or interest in it have a go, in a light-hearted way. The fact is you have about 10 people interested, I would have thought that's a result? As for the business advertising, I have already said I think a lot are missing out but let's look at this another way. Tomtom's posting in 'Likes and Loathes' about the White Swan is probably worth more to that business than a professional advert on this site, word of mouth recommendation being what it is. That is probably more down to tomtom of course. As for TOTT and Chat, last time I looked you had to be a member to get into TOTT. Although not a great restriction in access it does designate some affirmative action has to be taken on your own behalf to enter. I would be of the opinion a 'loose cannon section' with strict access criteria might be more useful rather than imposing a set of strict posting rules for TOTT? You could always start the thread Mr D, as a test? At the end of the day the site being a community site reflects the attitudes within that community and the wide variance contained therein. People will follow certain threads they are interested in and not others, that's their choice and long may we continue to have that choice!

Not just me then..........

Merc, I understood by and large where you were coming from and of course this medium isn't suitable for every business, it was just MR D's general intent I wanted to reply to.

Mr D I want to reply to your criticism concerning this web site and as it concerns merc's last sentence it will have to be on the board and not a PM. Local businesses, by and large, have consistently failed to take advantage of what a local site like this can offer, and that was from day one when 125 were asked if they wanted to put up a FREE advert and 3 or 4 responded. That was BEFORE the boards got going, about 13 years ago! I can understand it might not fit with every business model but mainly retailers and service providers turning down free advertising??????? It was always set up as a community site so little wonder the forums became the most popular part. Within that you have to realise there will be a cross section of our community represented with some being far more 'vocal and vociferous' than others and if you add in the use of pseudonyms and people's propensity to be critical and promote their own agendas small wonder some of the threads blow up sometimes. ALL reported threads are treated seriously and there are reasons why the 'delete' button or the 'approve' button is hit. It's a fine line sometimes but I wouldn't want to be part of something where there is a heavy hand of censorship applied. I think the most important difference between Chat and TOTT is the fact that one is open to all and the other for members only and that might flavour some postings and moderation. The site would seem to offer something for most people now with the range of sub forums it has and I would point to a better than 50% increase in membership over the last year as testament to its appeal. Regular posters such as yourself will have played a role in that, but let's not stop there, let's try and replicate that next year too! Mr D I am not trying to be overtly critical of your post or inciting in any way, just putting my point of view out there.

'We' don't control the minutes of this meeting MR D or they would be uploaded here, believe me! Next partnership meeting is the 23rd, I think, and I will post a rundown of the main points. I do try and post the agendas in good time!

I think your sincerity shines through Pete…….

Be eaiser if you came along to Bedlington Forum/Partnership meetings Mr D. Then there is the Town Council stuff but really you need Stephen or Dajazar discussing that.

http://www.we7.com/#/artist/Monsta-Boy

Now, now monsta! And you have been so good of late!

I may be speaking out of turn here, and I will stand to be corrected, but to answer your questions Mr D. What is it? It is an associated fund to the main one which saw the recent Market Place upgrades. (Like it or not that's the single biggest investment Bedders has had in a very long time, if ever!) It is targeted at shop fronts and offers owners co-funding towards improvement in the facades. Who does it apply to? Any of the 'commercial' premises in the Conservation Area. Is everyone aware of it? Everyone one of them had an explanatory visit or at the very least an offer to get involved. BTW, I believe the Top Club has at last seen the light! So Mr D it really only looks like there's nowt happening, there is a lot of work being done by people behind the scenes to turn the fortunes of the town around!

A few are taking advantage of the THI funding initiative and we should soon see them with much better frontages.

Phil, Nominations…….. Dr Brown. Michael Longridge. Daniel Gooch. How about the 'Nail?' BTW, are you expecting legal action from KFC anytime soon?