Week ending 7th January

Our Friday miscellany

of the week's

news and events

The lady doth protest too much … We note that Councillor Alison Austin is the latest member of the BBI to write to the local “newspapers” to tell them how free party members are to follow their consciences and that they are not subjected to a party whip. If these facts were as clear as she says, we wonder why she and other BBI members feel the need to tell the world so often. Perhaps in the hope that we’ll eventually believe it? It would be nice to hear these claims from someone other than the leader, his wife and the party’s mouthpiece – perhaps a rank and file member could speak up if ordered to?
It quango as far as we’re concerned … We note with little sadness that the tourism group Visit Lincolnshire may vanish as a result of county council cuts. Last year it spent more than £1,500,000 “promoting” the county – but we have always found it somewhat lacking when it came to giving Boston a fair share of the publicity cake. Instead the county is suggesting “investing in the product” – i.e. putting money into the locality, which we hope will do far more than what the group has achieved so far. The proposal to withdraw funding will go out to public consultation ahead of a decision in February. Proof of how valued the organisation is was reflected in a petition handed to Lincolnshire County Council supporting Visit Lincolnshire earlier this week. It contained just 100 signatures. ‘Nuff said.
Lies, damn lies and statistics - 1 … If you take a detailed look at the Sport England figures being trumpeted on the Boston Borough Council website (“Country’s best at getting fit”) you will notice that they aren’t quite as good as proclaimed. Nonetheless, that didn’t stop portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning, Sport and Cultural Services Richard Dungworth bragging about it on the BBC Lincolnshire Breakfast Show on Wednesday. Sadly, the best he could come up with was that 200 people were now members of walking groups – which scarcely sounds much of a breakthrough. When asked if he walked to work, he pleaded ‘flu – then unfortunately for proponents of the Into Town bus services – added “like most rural areas our transport system is not the best, so unfortunately I’m one of the car users.” He also listed a string of meetings as a handicap to his “time schedule” - adding … “as borough councillors we really do have to work hard you know.” We think that this was intended as a joke. Look out for more bon mots from Councillor Dungworth on Monday.
Lies, damn lies and statistics - 2 … Not only did the fitness figures seem a little suss … the same is true of the crime figures published by the borough. The level of crime is really quite low, and so a further reduction – however small – can appear disproportionably big. For instance fall in crimes of fraud and forgery from six to four is a drop of 30% - but isn’t really much of a problem to begin with. Is it our imagination or is the borough guilty of making mountains from molehills simply to look good? And why is the borough council issuing crime statistics, when it is the job of Lincolnshire Police? Stealing someone else's thurnder, perhaps?
Post - not haste ... Hands up those among us who - whilst delighting in the year-round dodging of Boston's bicycling postmen on our pavements and footpaths - noticed their conspicuous absence when we really needed them in the run up to Christmas and in the brief delivery window between then and the New Year. The worst example we have received to date is the receipt of a Christmas card posted on 14th December which reached its destination on New Year's Eve - a mere two weeks after posting. Royal Mail's "service" in Boston is bad at the best of times - but (forgive us Mr Dickens) in the worst of times it excels itself for poorness of quality... If Boston's refuse collectors can brave the elements and deliver an almost normal service when bad weather strikes - despite their ailing vehicle fleet - then Postman Pratt has no excuse – other than that he simply couldn’t be bothered.
Value for money? … The Boston Standard sets another record this week. The paper that seems to bring you less and less with every edition is charging 45p for just forty pages – which at more than a penny a page must be the most expensive edition pro rata to date. It also falls hook, line and sinker, for the borough’s handout on how the council has solved the local crime problem. Surely, if dressing up as Batman and Robin and a couple of Star Wars storm troopers was all it took, everyone would be doing it. Once again, the BBI’s spokesman Councillor Ramonde Newell is quick to claim the credit for his council, and one can almost hear the grudging tone of voice when he gives Boston Police a name check.
Tale back … Meanwhile a writer to the Boston Target lists the endless parade of big ideas from the past fifteen years aimed at putting Boston “on the map.” They include an arts area in Red Lion Street, the West Street revamp with a new college building, the Guildhall fiasco, and the Haven gallery fiasco. What the town really needs, according to the writer, is what the Target calls a “multi-story” car park. Surely we’ve heard enough stories already.
Queue’s who? … Oldrids claim that queues formed outside their stores for the Boxing Day sale. Are they sure they haven’t confused Strait Bargate’s latest homeless resident with an over-enthusiastic shopper?

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