Our Friday miscellany
of the week's
news and events
It’s good to see Independent group leader Councillor Richard Leggott’s letter to the local “newspapers” proclaiming a “must-do” list to pursue with the new council leaders. It’s topped by the call to stop the noisy, smelly, polluting, dangerous Into Town buses using Strait Bargate as a rat run when there are alternative routes available. We think we see a glimmer of hope here that this much desired goal could be achieved. The Independents are all for it. Labour is all for it, and we would think that the English Democrats are onside as well. That gives nine votes. The Bypass Independents, who snuck the precinct route in by the back door, would oppose it – but if a proposal was made, and enough Tories voted with their hearts rather than for their whips, there is every chance that it could succeed – and we hope to see actions rather than words as soon as possible. This is a good start, and we look forward to reading more such letters in the press from Councillor Leggott in the future. Meanwhile, just one word of caution regarding “must” do lists. The dictionary contains numerous definitions of the word. Whilst the most common is “to be required or compelled,” another refers to “mould or mouldiness” – which is something we would not like to see happen to this important issue.
Whilst the doubtfully beneficial roadworks at the junction of Spilsby Road, Freiston Road and Willoughby Road will doubtlessly show their true worth eventually, we have to wonder in the meantime how quickly they could really be done. As we crept through town along John Adams Way one afternoon this week, we noted that the problem the works seek to end - ie the thoughtless behaviour of drivers who refuse to recognise the merger of two lanes into one - is simply being replicated half a mile sooner. Worse still was to note that only two workmen were present on the site - and neither of them was doing anything much at all. This is why the job is taking twelve weeks – which which the powers that be seem to think sounds much shorter than the three months that it really means. We fondly recall the days when roadworks such as this saw workmen descend on a site like bees to a honeypot, start at eight in the morning and soldier on until four. Good old days, which would have seen a job like the Spilsby Road epic take no more than a couple of weeks
Boston Borough Council recently got a name-check in a Daily Telegraph story about local authorities playing fast and loose with their council credit cards. All local councils were asked for details of their spending over £500 on these cards, and we were initially heartened to read that the figure for Boston was a nice, round zero. At first we thought the council had been very well behaved. Then it crossed our mind that maybe its credit rating was so poor that it had been denied a card. The answer was in fact more typical. It simply hadn’t bothered to reply. Welcome to the new age of openness and transparency!
Visitors to Pilgrim Hospital may have noticed the failure of one of the lifts to the wards. It would be hard not to. Some while ago, three of the four lifts were simultaneously out of order, and whilst two have been mended, a third has now been out of commission for weeks. We wondered why it takes so long to carry out such basic and essential maintenance. Then a little bird told us that that the engineers who carry out the work have to travel from Germany. Presumably, the policy is to wait until at least a couple of lifts have packed it in to save on the obviously higher cost of such a bizarre arrangement.
The other day we passed one of those seldom seen “Town Rangers” leaning up against a shop doorway – but in a vigilant and alert manner of course. We were struck by the fact that he was wearing piercings in the form of what appeared to be two ball bearings punched through the flesh at the side of his eye. The first thing that struck us was that this gave him a distinctly intimidating aura – which is not something we would expect to see in someone who is supposed to approachable by the public. The second thing that crossed our minds was that in the unlikely event of his becoming involved in any form of rough and tumble – say in the pursuit of a shoplifter – the piercings present something of a danger if grabbed or pulled. Is it too much to ask that adornments like these are banned during working hours?
The news that St Bede’s secondary school is to close can scarcely have come as a surprise, given its poor record of achievement. But it does seem fair to add that the rush some years ago for schools to specialise, saddled it with a heavy burden. As a result, we now have a “technology” college, an “academy” specialising in visual arts, whilst poor old St Bede (673-735) – although a great scholar - was an historian who wielded a quill, and therefore an odd choice for a “science” college. We also note a quote from the school’s new boss which says that the “vast majority” of staff will continue in the same roles as before when the school is merged with Haven High. We hate allocating blame, but surely, many of the staff must take responsibility for the school’s problems to date, and we can’t see that retaining almost all will improve things much.
The honours are evenly shared between both our local “newspapers” for this week’s comedy cuttings awards. Of the two, the Boston Standard just takes the edge, though, with this little gem …
Secondly, we think that the Boston Target should realise that simply because a little old lady is partial to an occasional glass of sherry and a bag of crisps, it does not mean that she lives on the stuff, as this story suggests …
A “diet” of sherry and crisps? We hope not, but if true, may we say we’d hate to be the duty Dyno-Rod engineer in the Georgians’ area of town!
That’s it for this week. We’re off on one of those holiday things for a few days and will be back on Tuesday 21st, which is the day of the first cabinet meeting of the new council. Join us again then. But please keep in touch by e-mail between now and then. We look forward to hearing from you.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
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