Portfolios for 2010/11

In this year's round of CCC parlour games, the music has stopped, everyone is sitting comfortably, and all the boys and girls have excitedly unwrapped whatever package they are holding to see what the year ahead holds for them. See who's got what...

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JOHN GILBEY

Policy and Improvement:

Corporate Policy

Scrutiny

Performance

Corporate Projects

Consultation

Planning and Regeneration:

Planning Policy

Conservation and Countryside, including Arboriculture

Housing Strategic Policy & Enabling

Culture and Enterprise:

Marlowe Theatre (+ Darren Ellis)

Economic Development

Markets

Town Centre Management

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JEAN LAW

Culture and Enterprise:

International

Communications:

Press

Marketing

Internal Communications

Customer Services Client

Web and Intranet Development Client

Civic Team

Sponsorship

Advertising

Community Development and Outdoor Leisure:

Community Development

Neighbourhood Development

Community Services

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TONY AUSTIN

Housing, Community Safety & Environmental Services:

Housing Landlord

Supported Housing

Housing Options & Interventions

Asset Management (Housing)

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ROSEMARY DOYLE

Housing, Community Safety & Environmental Services:

Environmental Protection

Commercial Health

Street Scene

Community Development and Outdoor Leisure:

Outdoor Leisure

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DARREN ELLIS

Culture and Enterprise:

Museums

Sports Development

Active Life

Cultural Policy

Marlowe Theatre (+ John Gilbey)

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PETER LEE

ICT and Customer Services:

ICT

Customer Services Operation

Procurement

HR Client

Finance:

Finance

Legal and Democratic:

Democratic Services

Legal

Elections and ERO

Revenues and Benefits:

Benefits

Local Taxation

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MIKE PATTERSON

Culture and Enterprise:

Tourism

Planning and Regeneration:

Transport & Parking Strategy

Property and Engineering:

Whitstable Harbour

Engineers

Facilities Management

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ANN TAYLOR

Culture and Enterprise:

Arts & Events

Community Development and Outdoor Leisure:

Community Assets (Westgate, Kings, Horsebridge, Whitstable Castle)

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PETER VICKERY-JONES

Housing, Community Safety & Environmental Services:

Community Safety

Parking Enforcement

Licensing

Community Development and Outdoor Leisure:

Foreshore

Beach Huts

Planning and Regeneration:

Development Control

Building Control

Planning Enforcement

Land Charges

Property and Engineering:

Estates and Valuation

Building Maintenance

Architects’ Projects

Newbies at the Pier

Here's the potted biographies-cum-pitches from the three Trustees confirmed at the AGM, one staying, two new. Michael Khoury has what I find to be a disarmingly honest and direct approach: if the Pier succeeds, the town will succeed, and his assorted business interests in the town will prosper - clear-cut and straightforward. Ian Priston looks promising as our new communications wizard, and will need to put in some spell-binding performances if we're to pull any rabbits out of this particular hat. Andrea Leach has a solid background in the nitty-gritty world of fund-raising, and willingly walked straight into this challenge, for which I applaud him. I'm pleased with all three.

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TRUSTEES FOR RE-ELECTION

MICHAEL KHOURY
Michael has lived in Herne Bay for 23 years where his business interests include amusement arcades, catering and retail. He is a founder member of Town Partners and active in Herne Bay's Chamber of Commerce, for which he is currently President. He started life in a refugee camp and as a young man he worked on oil rigs in the Arabian Gulf. He was Employee Relations Representative for an American company for 4 years before being head hunted for the Ministry of Petroleum. After 5 years he moved to the UK, where he met his wife June.

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NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTION AS TRUSTEE

IAN PRISTON
Herne Bay deserves a pier it can be proud of and I am committed to doing all I can to achieving that goal, particularly by helping build the trust's profile. Quite new to Herne Bay, my wife and I moved to the area to obtain a better life for our 3 young children. We chose well! By profession I am a communications manager responsible for relationships with the media and a wide variety of public bodies for the Courts Service in London. I am experienced in new public building project management, consultation, advising government and explaining proposals to wide audiences.

ANDREA LEACH
Andrea, 44 is happily married to Kim and has 2 sons Alex (16) and Max (12). Born in Canterbury he has lived all his life locally and moved to Herne Bay over 3 years ago and is passionate about improving and developing the Town! Andrea has over 20 years extensive European B2B experience with a number of leading global FMCG companies, including the Sports Apparel and Leisure sector. As Capital Appeals Manager for a Local Children's Charity he helped to raise £6.5m to build and open South London's First Residential Children's Hospice in South London. He is bilingual Italian and has extensive business contacts both locally and in London. He has worked with Britain's Oldest Brewer Shepherd Neame as an Export Consultant for over 5 years. Andrea would like to use his Business Contacts and experience as a Trustee and seeks your proactive support to help him make a difference!

Get blooming

Competition time is growing nearer. Entry forms are now available for this year's Herne Bay in Bloom competition. The gardening contest is open to people in all areas of Herne Bay, with prizes of gardening vouchers for a range of categories.

Forms can be collected from the library or council office in William Street or by calling 07540 392916. The closing date is Thursday, June 10 and judges will visit on Tuesday, July 6. Anyone who can help with the competition or sponsor a prize should e-mail herne_bayinbloom@live.co.uk or call secretary Colleen Ashwin-Kean on 07540 392916.

It's time to "Grow for gold!" as Cllr Rosemary Doyle said at the recent launch by Herne Bay in Bloom. Another term in the punitentiary for the appropriately named Rosemary, methinks.

Homeless, begging, and saving lives

The Council sold the Coastwatch building for £54,000 - I have no idea where they spent that windfall. The Coastwatch now need to raise £60,000 for a new building. The words "insult" and "injury" spring to mind.

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Plea to save coastwatch's "eyes and ears" service

Lookouts at Herne Bay's only coastwatch tower have set up a fundraising scheme to stop it going under. The Friends of NCI (National Coastwatch Institution) Herne Bay initiative hope to provide financial support to the building on the Esplanade, which faces closure after its lease expires in October 2010*. It would mean the town losing the eyes and ears of 24 trained lookouts who keep a watch on the coast every weekend. The new scheme, costing members £3 a month or £60 for a life-time membership, will support the tower's bid to raise £60,000 for a new building just 200 yards away.

Other fundraisers this month - a collection at Sainsbury's in Westwood Cross and a quiz night in Beltinge - helped add £800 to the cause. Watchkeeper Bob Eslea, 70, said:

“It is essential Herne Bay has a watch station. The coastguard can't spot a child on a dinghy being swept out to sea, or a swimmer in trouble in strong tides. They can't watch over small fishing boats, jet-bikes and yachts without radar reflectors, and they can't see the paragliders who launch from the cliffs off Reculver. There's also a chance they could miss mayday calls made on the wrong radio frequency - calls we may pick up when monitoring the channels.”

Friends of the new scheme will receive a welcome pack and quarterly newsletter about the progress and developments at the watch station. For more details about joining the scheme email ncihernebay@talktalk.net or visit www.baywatch-hernebay.blogspot.com

HB Gazette 27th May 2010

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* The new landlords have generously agreed to extend the lease for another year so the Coastwatch now have until October 2011 to establish themselves in new premises.

Monkshill Farm getting a café and shop

Monkshill Farm is just made of goodness - good people doing good things for the right reasons, and making great food into the bargain. Go and have a look round, and treat yourself to some of their food.

Ground broken for farm's café and shop

A hoped-for royal visitor cried off - but dignitaries turned out in force for a ground-breaking ceremony at a children’s farm on Tuesday. Mayor of Swale Adrian Crowther and the deputy Lieutenant of Kent Frank Martin were among guests to see the turning of the first turf of what will be a new shop and cafe at the farm in Monkshill Road, Waterham, near Faversham.

The honour would have gone to Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who is patron of the Royal School for Deaf Children in Margate with which the farm is linked, but she cancelled the trip due to illness. Instead the task fell to the Right Honourable Viscountess Lady Monckton of Brenchley a long-time supporter of the John Townsend Trust which runs both the school and farm and associated projects for young people with hearing problems and other disabilities.

The 300-acre farm is run as a commercial operation, selling fresh meat and eggs to restaurants such as the Sportsman at Seasalter. It is also an educational establishment. Youngsters visit regularly to help care for the animals, which include chickens, calves, sheep and alpacas. The skills they learn there help them to live independent lives. The new shop will eventually incorporate the farm’s butchery and meat-packing department.

Much of the £100,000 needed for the first phase of building work has still to be raised, but it is hoped it will be found in time for the shop to open in 2011.

HB Times 20th May 2010

Press editing

For those of you who are interested in such things, you can play spot-the-difference between what the local press gets sent, and what it publishes. Below is the un-cut version of the letter "whingeing" Kim sent the local press - see "Blood from a stone". I've highlighted the bits that ended up on the cutting room floor.

Open letter

With regard to your Article in last week HB Times

I am disappointed that the Pier Trust has been embroiled into your report of my communications with the Council regarding their historic efforts to rebuild the pier since 2004. I feel the matter has flared out of proportion and would like to put events into perspective.

The Pier has long been pawned as a vote catcher at election times, including the current, and by various political parties and it is interesting that the Pier was the catalyst of Survey subjects put to prospective MP's and reported in local papers last week. Quoting: "Our local and regional councillors are the ones who decide. MPs of course do their best to exert this influence".

I do not feel it at all unreasonable to want to know what efforts the owners of the Pier (Canterbury City Council) have made to rebuild the pier since 2004 when the glimmer of hope was given in the commissioned Herne Bay Pier Report. This report was commissioned by Canterbury City Council, Kent County Council and a Tourist body. I have asked all three parties the same question: "What action was taken by them following the report to progress the rebuild of the Pier, what decisive action was taken to secure funding, when and with whom and what the outcome was." I, and I am sure many others, would like to know what action has been taken by the owners to maintain, restore and or rebuild the property they hold for the Town. I want to know how the Council feel justified in simply stating there are no funds to rebuild the pier without challenge from the electorate.

Similarly I contacted the KCC Councillor representing Herne Bay (Jean Law) similarly I contacted my MP (Roger Gale). It is fair to say there has been a strong resistance to communicate at all on the subject. Pursuing the question over several months I received various evasive responses but not one factual answer. Pursuing those responses I have received further evasive and somewhat personalised rebuffs detracting from the specified information requested. Now my communications on historical efforts by the Councils, Councillors and MP seem to be considered the Trust's concern which, quite frankly, I do not. I continue to seek factual information directly.

As an individual, I believe I am entitled to contact my council(s) on issues that matter to me, equally with elected Councillors and my MP. I believe that if, more often than not, my contact is ignored or the subject is avoided, side stepped or "spun" I am justified in pursuing the subject. Sadly as is often the case with a handful of Councillors, communications degenerate into personal attack. I appreciate that is often to deflect the situation and avoid the subject but I continue to feel justified in pursuing an honest straight forward factual answer.

I am a Life Member of the Pier trust, give my total support to the cause and hold the trust members in the highest of esteem. They have a thankless task ahead and work tirelessly. Two New Trusts Members were announced at AGM last evening and I believe there are exciting times ahead.

I would just like a an honest factual straight forward answer to a very straight forward question: "What action was taken by them following the report to progress the rebuild of the Pier, what decisive action was taken to secure funding, when and with whom and what the outcome was".

Kind regards

Kim Hennelly

Blood from a stone

My favourite "whinger" sheds some light on how she earned the title from a local councillor. It seems to me that her question is pretty straightforward and reasonable, and I'm disappointed (but not that surprised) that Kim's run into the all too familiar wall of silence.

No pier answer

I am disappointed the Pier Trust has become embroiled in my communications with the city council about plans to rebuild the pier (Storm brewing for pier trust). I feel the matter has flared out of proportion and would like to put events into perspective. The pier has long been used as a vote-catcher at election times by various political parties. I think it is perfectly reasonable for me to ask the owners - Canterbury City Council - what efforts they have made to rebuild it following the Herne Bay Pier Report of 2004.

It was commissioned by the city and county councils and a tourism body. I have asked all three parties the same question: "What action was taken following the report to progress the rebuild of the pier?" I want to know how the city council feels justified in simply stating there are no funds. I have also contacted the city council and Herne Bay MP Roger Gale. I have received various evasive responses but not one factual answer.

As an individual I believe I am entitled to contact my council(s) on issues that matter to me, equally with elected councillors and my MP.

I am a life member of the Pier Trust, give my total support to the cause and hold Trust members in the highest of esteem. They have a thankless task ahead and work tirelessly. Two new members joined at the annual meeting. I believe there are exciting times ahead.

Kim Hennelly

HB Times letters 20th May 2010

Pier Trust AGM

Rebuild pier or I'll 'jump ship': Trust founder vows to quit unless structure is restored.

A founding member of the trust set up to preserve Herne Bay's pier has vowed to quit if there is no progress towards rebuilding it within a year. Arcade boss Michael Khoury spoke out at the first annual meeting of the Herne Bay Pier Trust, and said he was determined to make their dreams of restoring the structure a reality. He also revealed the group hoped to buy the pier from owners Canterbury City Council for the nominal sum of £1. Mr Khoury said:

"If this end is going to be all we have of the pier I would jump ship yesterday. I want that pier to be done somehow I would like the council to build it for us but unfortunately that's not going to happen. But I will stand down next year if the rebuild is not going to happen."

The decision to try to buy the pier was made a few months ago and the group is now preparing a business plan to help their case and attract more funding. Mr Khoury said:

"As a businessman, I know what is good and what doesn't make money. I want that pier to be done somehow. We have to have a central attraction. We know we can make it work but we must have all the power to do it ourselves."

Mr Khoury also revealed the lack of progress so far had forced trust chairman Graham Cooper and fellow founding member Andy Newell to consider standing down from the group, set up by Canterbury City Council. But Mr Cooper, who took over as chairman from solicitor Stephen Parry just before last week's meeting, said the mood within the trust was now positive. He said:

"Our ambition is to get a full built pier and a first class attraction for the town. If we can get the right level of inward investment we can get the best for our beautiful town. I am feeling convinced we are going to do it. None of us would sit here if we didn't think we had a chance. But it is the membership we need. More people to support us. We have an open mind about the physical structure of the pier. We all agree we want a rebuilt pier structure. We are not going to do that overnight but that is what we are aiming for We want inward investment and public finding and then the ideas will come."

More members needed for project

Fewer than 120 people have signed up to support the rebuild of Herne Bay pier. Now leaders of the group set up to oversee its regeneration are appealing to others to join them to guarantee its future as a tourist attraction. Members of the Herne Bay Pier Trust hope to take management of the pier from the council and see 2012 as the key date to start its regeneration, once the sports centre has moved, leaving it free for future development. But at the first annual meeting of the Herne Bay Pier Trust, trustees said it was vital more people became members to attract crucial funding. Chairman Graham Cooper said:

"The trustees are all totally committed to regenerating the pier but equally it must be recognised that all of us cannot do it alone. If the citizens of Herne Bay are to have a new pier, they must be prepared to fight hard for it and pull together with the trust. We will certainly need to have a membership in the thousands if we are to have credibility and claim a legitimate mandate from the people of the town that a regenerated pier is what they want."

The trust hopes to raise enough money to pay for a complete rebuild to connect the pier to pier head and will ask for ideas from the town before committing to any designs. Volunteers are also needed to help share the workload.

HB Times 20th May 2010

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Membership of Herne Bay Pier Trust costs just £10-a-year. For more information or a membership application form visit www.hernebaypiertrust.co.uk or write to: Andy Newell, Membership Secretary 30 Gordon Road, Herne Bay CT6 5QT

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Democracy is worth encouraging

Put off joining

Your last edition presents something of a conundrum for local people. On the inside pages you have an item about the Herne Bay Pier Trust and its forthcoming members' meeting, effectively encouraging people to join up. On your front page you carry a report of how some of those who do face public criticism, scorn and attack from the ever-strident Tory councillor Jean Law ("Storm brewing for Pier Trust", HB Times May 6th). Hardly an incentive.

Some would say this is simply good, plain speaking on Ms Law's part. Others would say it is the usual local Tory trait of trying to stamp on any criticism and silence it, and of slapping the faces of those who attempt to call Tory politicians to account.

Brian Glew
High View Avenue, Herne Bay

HB Times letters 13th May 2010

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Involvement mustn't be dismissed as whingeing, and dialogue requires a reply to questions.

To declare an interest: I am a founder member of the Pier Trust. To declare another interest: I have a degree of empathy with Kim Hennelly (the "whinger"), having been bad-mouthed on the front page of the local press by local councillors within days of submitting the village green application.

I'm not happy with the Council's high-handed and combative response to criticism, which is I think the result of complacency, arrogance and a forgetfulness of purpose. I'm not impressed with the public's lack of involvement in local democracy, which has its roots in disenchantment with a Canterbury-centric Council, a lack of awareness of how to engage, and laziness (amongst many other things, like getting on with life).

None of the councillors was voted in by more than 50% of the electorate in their wards. The Council was chosen by a minority of the public, and it follows that the majority who didn't choose them may disagree with, and even criticise, the Council. For the good of their blood pressure and mental health, every councillor should be able to deal with criticism - I expect there are courses available.

"Just answer the question!" was a phrase that popped into my head with monotonous regularity throughout the run-up to the recent general election. And earlier, in my dealings with the Council over the last year and more. So, a very simple rule of thumb for all councillors and Council officers to bear in mind (or have stencilled on every visible surface) is:

"A straight question deserves a straight answer."

Following this simple rule will mean that the public will not feel we are being pushed away, fobbed off or disregarded. We will be more inclined to join in the dialogue between elected and electorate, leading to a robust, hands-on local democracy. Which is what everyone wants. Isn't it?

Tainted Mayor

One well-informed local fears the Mayorship may become sullied and diminished by politicisation. It's hard not to agree. I'm not thrilled at voting becoming a redundant sham, come to that...

The Precious Leader does seem to be rubbing people up the wrong way in his recent press statements. Fair comment from Mrs Berridge in her letter, though - the Lord Mayor is a figurehead, a ceremonial position, and emphatically civic and apolitical. The CCC website says:

The Lord Mayor is elected by the City Councillors at the Annual Council Meeting in May and becomes chairman of the Council, the most senior member of the civic office and the principal representative of the City and District on important occasions.

The word 'elected' does rather suggest to me the free exercise of choice by the eligible constituency, which doesn't seem to have been the case this time round. Jonji-il Bi has shown his willingness to fight tooth and nail at the drop of a hat, as evidenced by his 'absolutely disgraceful' outburst. I do hope he will fight to defend the Lord Mayorship from the taint of politics, otherwise who knows where we might end up - politically partial Council Officers? Heaven forbid!

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Don’t taint Lord Mayor with partisan politics

In the May 6th edition of your newspaper you report Cllr John Gilbey as saying that non-Conservative councillors had not supported the role of Lord Mayor and had failed to attend civic functions like the Lord Mayor’s Ball (Anger Over ‘Lack Of Consultation’ For Lord Mayor Choice, Gazette, May 6).

I take exception to that accusation. As the wife of a Lib Dem city councillor, I have worked this past civic year as a member of the Lady Mayoress’s charity fundraising team and have attended a number of civic occasions with or without my husband. Since my husband is councillor for the same ward as the current Lord Mayor, Cllr Harry Cragg, we made a special effort his year to attend the Lord Mayor’s Ball and brought a table of 12 people to the event.

We believed we were attending a civic, not a political, function that evening. It has often been stressed that the role of Lord Mayor is a neutral, non-political one. It seems that Cllr Gilbey wishes to taint a high civic office with the air of partisan politics, which can only be detrimental to the post.

Janet Berridge, Birch Road, Canterbury

HB Gazette letters 13th May 2010

More turbines

The Crown Estate gives the go-ahead for Kentish Flats and Thanet Offshore windfarms to expand by 50%

The agency that controls the UK sea bed, the Crown Estate, today announced that it has agreed to extend the first and second wave of offshore wind farms to provide more than 2GW of additional capacity, enough to power 1.4 million extra homes. The organisation said it has authorised the extension of five existing offshore wind farms that combined could provide an additional 1.7GW of capacity, and had also approved the expansion of two other planned projects in order to provide an extra 340MW of capacity. The Crown Estate said that formal agreements with the three developers who run the existing wind farms are expected in the coming weeks. Rob Hastings, The Crown Estate's director of the marine estate, said in a statement that the expanded projects highlighted the growing confidence among offshore wind developers:

"This 2GW has been driven by developers' appetite and will increase the total potential 2020 installed capacity to 48 GW. It is another positive step in the maturing of the offshore wind industry and will significantly support the growth of the supply chain as it adds further to the pipeline of construction projects."

His comments were echoed by Maria McCaffery, chief executive of trade association RenewableUK, who hailed the announcement as:

"Definitive and positive evidence of the environmental and commercial viability of existing offshore projects. The site extensions come as a direct consequence of the UK’s world beating offshore wind farms showing that, after a successful start, they have further potential for growth. It is clear that developers are confident projects will continue to deliver and we welcome The Crown Estate's timely action in ensuring that this happens."

The U.K. in 2008 overtook Denmark to become the leading nation in installed offshore wind power, and last month reached 1 gigawatt of generating capacity. The three main political parties vying for power following last week’s general election have all said they plan to promote the industry as the U.K. strives to attain 15 percent of energy from renewables by 2015.

Kentish Flats is a 90MW (megawatt) wind farm off Whitstable and has been generating power since 2005. Along the coast, Vattenfall will complete construction of Thanet Offshore Wind Farm, which at 300MW, will be the largest offshore wind farm in the world - at least until the planned London Array project is completed. Vattenfall’s Kentish Flats and Thanet sites will be expanded as the Swedish company has won permits for an extra 198MW of capacity.

Ole Bigum Nielsen, head of Offshore Projects at Vattenfall Wind Power in the UK said:

"Vattenfall is pleased to have reached this important stage in the negotiations to extend Kentish Flats and Thanet offshore wind farms. The two existing projects that we own off the Kent coast are making a substantial contribution to the Kent economy and are going some way to helping deliver British climate change targets. Vattenfall's vision is to make electricity clean by 2050."

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Tony Bosworth said:

"This is another significant step forward along the path to a greener, safer future. The UK's renewable energy potential is huge - maximising it would slash emissions, increase energy security and generate tens of thousands of jobs. All the major political parties agree on the need to build a low-carbon economy - urgent measures to boost green energy must be a top priority for whoever forms the next government."

Liberating labyrinth

This is rather lovely: in the midst of fear and pain, people finding comfort and consolation in a simple but convoluted path.

I'm no fan of religion (but a great fan of the few hospices I have spent time in) and although this labyrinth was instigated by a reverend and inspired by a cathedral, it seems that this pattern of bricks has a power, and fills a need, that transcends our modern and formal interpretations of the divine.

You can donate to the Pilgrim's Hospice here.

Reverend Lizzie Hopthrow

One day, in the late 1990s, I saw a labyrinth on the floor of a transept in Canterbury Cathedral and was bowled over by its spiritual resonance. I started reading about labyrinths and I ended up going to see the one in Chartres Cathedral. I’m the chaplain at the Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, and the power of that sacred space made me think that maybe this was something we could do to help hospice patients.

We began by having patients make small labyrinths out of clay. I watched a man walk up to one, reach out his hand, and say, “Wow”. I thought, what’s going on there? It’s just a bit of pottery and a shape. But somehow it calmed patients down, and eventually they said, “We want a labyrinth we can walk.”

First we made a fabric labyrinth out of silk. I was amazed by the emotions that hit people when they walked it. One man wept for 30 minutes. He said that his wife had been ill for 18 months and this was the first time he’d been able to express any feelings about it. Some patients would watch others walking and burst into tears. It was shocking.

After seeing how the fabric labyrinth helped patients, I wanted to build a permanent one. We got funding from the Department of Health to build a therapeutic labyrinth garden, which opened in July 2008. It’s the first hospice labyrinth in the UK. And people can wander in and walk it; it’s there for the community. The labyrinth is an ancient pattern - a spiral with one path that leads to the centre and then out again. Most people think of the Minotaur story when they hear about the labyrinth, but that isn’t particularly helpful. The difference between a maze and labyrinth is very important - in a labyrinth you can’t get lost.

There is evidence of labyrinths in many faiths and cultures. They appear in Islam and ancient Christianity; it’s like a spiritual imprint in the human fabric that pops up all over the world. I can’t say where it originated - I don’t know if there’s anybody who can. That’s the mystery of it. But I have done a lot of research to figure out how the labyrinth works. What happens as we go into a spiral walk of this kind is that we slip from the left side of our brain, which is always analysing and worrying, into the right-hand side - the intuitive, imaginative, creative part of ourselves. You can take something that you need to let go of into the labyrinth, and at the centre you can experience peace. For many, it’s a meditation. It makes them calmer.

Sometimes people go into the labyrinth with a question and they’ll come out with an answer. Other times they might have had an outpouring of grief, but it’s like lancing a boil. Once you let the poison out, you feel better. You can’t prove it scientifically - the evidence I have is from my own observations. On one occasion, there was a gentleman on the ward who was dying. He wanted to walk the labyrinth, but he was too ill. So I walked for him. His family was with him, and they all wept together. For me, that’s evidence. I can’t explain it, but I see it happen so often that I’m convinced that it’s real.

Working in a hospice, I think we have more emotional experiences than in other contexts. But there is always loss and grief in life. If you lose your handbag, think of how much of yourself is in it - that’s a loss. The labyrinth, in any situation, is a powerful tool for healing those emotions inside us that are hurting us.

Now I give workshops on the labyrinth at conferences and schools. To begin, I usually ask participants if they’ve walked a maze. Many have. They say the experience was stressful - they couldn’t find their way out. Then I show them a picture of a labyrinth. There’s only one path, and you won’t get lost. I think of it as a metaphor for people’s lives. The maze imprisons you, because you can’t get out. The labyrinth liberates you.

FT Magazine 8th May 2010 Sonia Van Gilder Cooke

General Election results

Here's how you voted. See how it compares with my forecast...

click it to big it

Freedom from choice

Nice to be Mayor, to be Mayor, nice!The next Lord Mayor is a shoo-in. Of course. And not everybody's happy about it. Of course.

So, the Canterbury City Conservatives have "arranged" a smooth transition from one Lord Mayor to the next. Please don't be surprised or disappointed by the absence of consultation - it seems to be their style. They may have a grudging admiration for the Soviet era ballots with 99% turnout and 100% agreement. I expect the North Korean style of compulsory consistent consensus is an inspiration to our own Precious Leader, Jonji-il Bi. But when it comes down to it, is anyone bothered which councillors fill the roles of Lord Mayor and Sheriff? Wouldn't it be smarter to choose the most photogenic and media-savvy people from the district, regardless of whether they're councillors?

Anger over lack of consultation for Lord Mayor choice

Tory councillor Pat Todd has been nominated to take on the role of Lord Mayor for a second time. An email sent to all council members this week by leader Cllr John Gilbey stated that Cllr Todd is in line for the prestigious civic job, a post he previously held in 2006/7. Another Tory councillor, Northgate representative Sally Pickersgill, has also been nominated as the new Sheriff of Canterbury.

The pair are expected to be voted in by the Conservative-controlled council at its annual meeting at the Guildhall on May 12, replacing Cllrs Harry Cragg and Gabrielle Davis. But Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Alex Perkins is angry that opposition councillors have again been ‘frozen out’ of the selection process. He said:

"I’ve got nothing against Pat. He’s a good bloke who did a fine job last time he was Lord Mayor. But yet again we’ve not been consulted and instead had this presidential style announcement via email by the council leader. It’s very wrong because there are other councillors who would have liked to have been offered the opportunity."

Labour group leader Cllr Julia Seath said:

"There are only two Labour members on the council and as it happens neither of us are interested. Cllr Todd is a very likeable and capable councillor but he has done it before and it would have been nice to see perhaps a long-serving Liberal Democrat member have the chance. But I’m not surprised. How the Conservatives have handled it has become a bit par for the course with them."

Cllr Gilbey said the group had started the selection process some months ago because they did not want it to clash with the general election. He said that neither opposition groups had contacted him about any of their potential candidates and he accused them of not supporting the role of Lord Mayor by failing to attend civic functions like the Lord Mayor’s ball. He said:

"They very rarely turn up and it’s really poor because it’s about recognising the importance of the office of Lord Mayor as much as the individual. Pat was the only one in the group who was really keen and there is no precedent which says he can’t serve a second term. We know he is very capable and a safe pair of hands and that’s what the position needs because it carries significant responsibilities. We had three candidates for Sheriff from the group but the vote went to Cllr Pickersgill who I am sure will do a good job."

HB Gazette 6th May 2010

Le Petit Poisson in the press

The local press are also impressed with Le Petit Poisson. It's hard not to be.

Year of refurbishment brings 'amazing results'

A seafood restaurant has undergone a stunning transformation on the site of an old public toilets and pier ticket office. Le Petit Poisson - at the top of the pier in Central Parade - reopened last week after the £200,000 makeover. The work, which has seen the restaurant refurbished and extended on to another floor, took more than a year, but head chef Alex Windebank says it has all been worth it. The 24 year-old, who learned his trade at the Michelin-starred Sportsman in Seasalter, said:

“There was so much work to do when we started out, but the results are amazing. The restaurant has virtually doubled in size and looks so much fresher. The feedback we’ve had so far has been great and We’re really looking forward to the summer. It’s really exciting.”

Alex says the restaurant offers a “menu with a twist” and all produce is sourced locally from Broadstairs and Hythe:

“It’s so important to make the most of what you have on your doorstep. It also means the food we serve is as fresh as it can be.”

The restaurant will also have a side-hatch selling seafood during the summer and hopes to have a rooftop seating area next year:

“We’ve got big plans but obviously things cost money. We’ve done so much so far and can’t wait to show it off.”

Opening times: Tuesday to Friday noon to 2.30pm and 6.30pm to 9pm; Saturday noon to 3pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Sunday noon to 3.30pm. For more information about Le Petit Poisson call 01227 361199.

?HB Gazette 6th May 2010

How to help the Pier

Joining Herne Bay Pier Trust is a chance to make a difference to the town and play a part in building the history of the future. The trust is urging people to become involved in preserving the pier and add their views to plans for the area surrounding it.

An exclusive meeting for members takes place on Tuesday, 11th May 2010, and anyone signing up before then will be able to attend. People can join the trust as a full member, which costs £10 per year, or as a friend, which is free, and allows the trust to keep them informed of events and progress in the regeneration bid. The organisation aims to secure the pier as a heritage building and a place that the whole community can use and enjoy.

Joining as a friend will help the trust to show that it has strong community support if it applies for grants in the future. The trust is also encouraging people to make a donation to help their work by going to its website’s online shop. For information about the work of the trust, and to join as a member or a friend, go to www.hernebaypiertrust.co.uk

HB Times 6th May 2010

Classic Cars: punny headlines, good news

Big crowd drawn to May fiesta

Parking was at a premium around Herne Bay on Saturday but for once no one was complaining. The town was swamped with vehicles as motorists flocked to take part in a classic car rally and show off their gleaming machines. Organisers also staged plenty of entertainment to keep visitors amused, including May Day morris dancing and live music. Coastal towns manager Chris West said:

"There was such a wide selection and I was delighted with the turnout. Classic car owners are notorious for not wanting to turn up if there is a spot of rain, but we had a full house. The feedback from people has been excellent, and the entertainment was a success because there really was something for everyone to enjoy"

 The cars and motorbikes were parked all around the town centre, and visitors also flocked to the cafes and restaurants, giving them a bank holiday boost. Chris added:

"The idea of an event like this is to give people a good experience of Herne Bay so they will come back on other occasions."

HB Times 6th May 2010

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Mustangs and Cadillacs make day a Triumph!

They may have been armed with extra shammy leathers, but vehicle owners were not deterred by the threat of rain to miss the increasingly popular Herne Bay Classic Car Show on Saturday. The event was described by coastal towns manager Chris West as the most successful in its five year history, with 212 cars and motorcycles from all over the South East converging on the town centre. He said:

"I really thought the dodgy weather forecast would put a lot of them off because I know they don't like their cars getting wet. So I was surprised and delighted that so many owners turned up and put on a really great show for the people and visitors to Herne Bay"

Several town centre roads including William Street were closed for the show, which included a variety of musical entertainment, from morris dancing to a Sixties pop group and a jazz band. Among the cars were 12 Panthers, a 1918 Model T Ford, a collection of American cars, including Mustangs and Cadillacs and the ever popular Morris Minors, MGs and Triumphs. They were also 40 classic motorbikes, including BSAs and Nortons. Mr West said:

"We had owners from as far away as Surrey, Sussex and Essex so clearly the show is becoming a favourite on the classic car calendar. I think they like the fact that Herne Bay is a nice place to visit and their cars are on hard standing, instead of the muddy fields they sometimes have to park in. I think it's a great way of promoting the town and showing people what we have to offer."

Mr West said that hoteliers and guest house owners were already reporting forward bookings for the summer season which was encouraging. He said:

"I think a lot of people are choosing to holiday in the UK because it is so expensive in the Euro zone."

The next show in the town will be a custom car and motor show on August 21.

HB Gazette 6th May 2010

Storm brewing

Storm brewing for Pier Trust

A war of words has broken out between pier campaigner Kim Hennelly and county and city councillor Jean Law just days before Tuesday's Pier Trust annual meeting. In a series of e-mails between the two women, Cllr Law accused property investor Mrs Hennelly 49, who lives abroad most of the year, of "whingeing". But Mrs Hennelly replied: "I am not whingeing. How bizarre you think that." The row began in March when Mrs Hennelly demanded to know why the city council commissioned a new £10,000 report on the future of the pier despite a similar one being paid for by the county council in 2004:

"How can the council warrant a further report when the options for the pier have long been established? This appears to be nothing but stalling tactics. Weston-super-Mare pier burned down in 2008 but, thanks to the determination of local people and the support of their council, it has been rebuilt and is due to reopen in May. If Weston-super- Mare can do it, why can't we?"

Cllr Law wrote back:

"The earlier report was paid for by Kent County Council and arranged by my late husband John Law. I have spoken to the Pier Trust and it has wonderful ideas for the pier once the pavilion is removed."

But that did nothing to appease Mrs Hennelly:

"That's the point: The Pier Trust is allegedly dictated to by the council. Is the council stipulating that proposals are considered after the demolition of the pavilion? If the council had taken that stance with the Marlowe Theatre we would be looking at a pile of rubble for another five years."

Cllr Law replied:

"Please do not keep on Kim. The Pier Trust is there to do a job on behalf of the town. If you want to get involved with the Pier Trust, other than just being a member; then get yourself on the committee. What are you going to do - other than keep on whingeing?"

Mrs Hennelly who was banned from contacting city council staff last year after a series of e-mailed questions, is flying back to Herne Bay specially for the annual meeting in the Pier Cafe at 7pm.

HB Times 6th May 2010

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Let's hope the mud-slinging doesn't escalate to mud-wrestling. Anyway, I'll be there early for a ringside seat.

Post-election: stress, disorder

In contrast to the hard mathematical precision of my recent results analysis, today I go out on a limb for a national prediction. The LibDems will collect more votes and more seats than ever, but not as many seats as the number of votes would imply (as usual). What will thrill them to bits, however, will be the wildly disproportionate influence that they will wield as the maker/breaker of kings and coalitions. 

Unaccustomed as they are to the exercise of power, their initial efforts may appear gauche, attracting criticism and derision. They will be completely unbothered by anyone who tries to rain on their parade. In their shoes, I would push for electoral reform being the primary and absolute pre-condition for any form of alliance, and get the legislation passed asap.

After a while the wheels will fall off, and everything will go pear-shaped, the new friends will fall to bickering, and we will be stuck with stalemate and stagnation. Eventually, the penny will drop and whoever is running the show will realise that the only resolution will be to call an election.

Hah! Now it gets interesting. With the new electoral system (whatever it is, some degree of proportional representation or transferable voting) smaller parties will get more of a look-in on a purely mathematical basis. More importantly, people's voting patterns will almost certainly change. Even under the current system, about 10% of votes are cast for parties that have absolutely no chance whatsoever of winning. Within a new electoral framework that allocates seats and power in proportion to actual votes, many more people will vote for the smaller parties.

We may find ourselves living in a truly multi-party democracy.

Daft General Election Forecast!

Behold my far-fetched but statistically sound election result forecast. You will by now have heard and seen any number of polls and analyses, confidently "predicting" Thursday's outcome. I expect you are all worldly-wise enough to realise they are a load of tosh. Weary call centre slaves heckle the unsuspecting few by phone, and smug pundits recklessly extrapolate the results to several decimal places of precision. Knowing that you will be unsatisfied with such piffle, I have assembled the most reliable prediction yet - read it if you dare...

Rather than relying on a precarious forecast drawn from a few thousand (possibly imaginary) people across the whole country, this forecast is based on the entire turnout in the North Thanet constituency from the last 6 general elections, some 285,00 people in all. With such a large sample, predictions can be made with a much higher level of confidence.

Starting with the universally recognised statistical technique of drawing a straight line that touches NONE of the data points, we can be assured that the turnout on Thursday will be 43,300.

We can now repeat the exercise with each of the main party's percentage share of the vote. (One of the lines does come perilously close to a data point - I do apologise.)

So, the results will be as follows:

Conservative: 19,139 (44.2%)

Labour: 16,367 (37.8%)

LibDem: 5,153 (11.9%)

Given the sample size, this forecast can be relied on to be about 100 times more statistically significant than any other you have seen. The margin of error is about as wide as the page.

Vote on Thursday, or hang your head in shame.