Week ending 20th November

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events
Row, row, row your boat .... Despite doing his damnest to put as much distance between himself and Boston as possible, local oarsman Mick Dawson found himself on the receiving end of a phone call from the borough's senior snake oil salesman Richard Austin when he set foot on dry land in San Francisco. It's enough to set you rowing away all over again. We note that Mick's craft was flying a couple of flags, and thought it a shame that no-one considered giving him a borough flag to display on arrival .... a sort of latter-day Pilgrim Father. Given the parlous state of borough finances, we also hope the leader remembered to reverse the charges. Seriously though, well done Mick, and we hope you enjoy the civic knees up when you get home. Oh, and a final message to whoever wrote the piece on the borough's website. The "gate" suffix used by hacks to define a scandal (Cheriegate, Dianagate, Bloodgate, Sachsgate et al) does not apply in geography. Repeated references to San Francisco’s "Goldengate" Bridge should be corrected immediately.
Old timer's disease ... We note that the Dear Leader, Councillor Richard Austin, has been ordered to take more training after the Standards Committee upheld a complaint that he failed to declare a prejudicial interest during discussions on funding for Centrepoint at two meetings - even though he was a member of the homeless charity and his wife is a director and trustee. It seems hard to believe that he could have been so forgetful about his role with the charity, and we would have thought that - especially after a four year stint as a county councillor - Papa Dick" ought not to have made such a mistake about declaring interests. Perhaps as well as a training refresher, he should be sent on a memory improvement course.
Driving us insane ... We've commented before on the attitude of some Brylaine bus drivers who seem to feel that they own the road and that all other road users must get out of their way. But the behaviour described in a letter to one of the local papers when they tried to force their buses through crowds marking the two-minute silence at the town war memorial is inexcusable. Perhaps Brylaine should consider sending their merry men of a public relations course - and a highway code refresher session while they're about it.
Ticketty boo 1 ... Another letter highlighted the anomaly in the town's car parking charges, where the signage says that it costs 50p for 30 minutes on Sundays, but a traffic warden says that it's £1. Not only that, but he gleefully told the writer that the ticket machine would have guzzled the 50p without producing a ticket unless more money was put in - which is bad news for anyone who brings what they believe is the right money and have no more change. Doubtless the traffic warden would also have been quick to ticket the vehicle for not having paid. To tell the motorist that that the 50p charge notice is overruled by the "all day for a pound" notice is something we think could be successfully challenged in the event of a ticket being issued, and we think that Boston Borough Council should provide new signs at once.
Ticketty boo 2 ... Talking of parking tickets .... we've noted for ages the existence of a yellow line free section of road which runs from Pensioner House towards the rear of Marks & Spencer. It's been a little oasis of free parking that many people have found useful. However, the other day we saw that a car parked there had been issued with a ticket despite the absence of lines, or any obvious signs banning parking. Are our newly appointed wardens perhaps being a bit overzealous? They have their uses, but not if they let their new found powers go to their heads so soon.
Nolan-ger subscribing ... We're not sure whether being a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate counts as public office, but we do know that Labour's Paul Kenny sets great store by the Seven Principles of Nolan, which lays guidelines for such postholders. Principle Five, on Openness, declares:- "Holders of public office should be as open as possible about all the decisions and actions that they take. They should give reasons for their decisions and restrict information only when the wider public interest clearly demands." Does that mean we can expect a reply from Mr Kenny fairly soon in response to our questions asking why he has become a serial campaigner against members of Boston Borough Council? We think not. He talks the talk, but will he walk the walk?
Vote, vote vote for ... ? After yesterday's blog about there being no-one big enough to fill the shoes of an elected Mayor for the borough, we received one or two suggestions. Sadly they did little more than confirm that we were right all along.

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