View from Westminster, 9th December
Dutch Auction - Winds of Change
The climate change debate has generated an awful lot of heat over the last few days. E-mails claiming that research showing global warming were 'rigged' has given a fillip to the climate change sceptics. The core problem appears to be that the researchers were just simply lousy computer programmer's and so had to take short cuts to get the program to work. It does not mean that the research is wrong, merely that it cannot be trusted. It is not, however, the only research and most other studies indicate that global warming is at least partly made by mankind. The simplistic idea that it doesn't matter, "we will just get a little better weather", doesn't work, you only have to look out of your window to see that.
Newton Abbot Sorting Office
MPs' visits to sorting offices in the run up to Christmas are now part of the tradition. When mail was dealt with by the General Post Office and the Post Master General was a Government appointment, then MPs went to thank public servants for their work. Post privatisation, there are fewer public sector workers, telephones were separated off and then privatised in the 1980s. Royal Mail, however, escaped. Maggie saw that as a step too dangerous. Labour have not gone there yet but the Post Office is now very much 'a business' and the Government very much 'hands off' in the day to day running, although Mandelson is for ever in the shadows.
I visited Newton Abbot sorting office on Monday morning to talk to the posties and thank them for their public service. Our postmen and women go more than the final mile and provide a service TNT and others will never compete with, for they will never deliver to rural areas, they rely on the Royal Mail to do that for them. This rural service may be at risk.
Saturday Fairs and Shows
December Saturdays are always fun as everyone appears to be getting ready for Christmas! My Saturday included three fairs, two shows and a Parksie and a fir tree!
Newton Abbot's Bearnes School had their fair over the lunchtime, with special visits from Santa and the Grinch! In Teignmouth, the RNLI, Families for Children and other charities gathered for a fare in the Methodist Church Hall whilst further up the hill in the Richard Newton Hall a wide range of other charities Tombolared and raffled and found other ways of raising funds for their causes.
In between this I visited the Teignmouth Art Society's winter show at the Carlton Theatre and over the water at the Victory Hall in Shaldon, a new group of artists, Teign Artists held their first exhibition. All excellent work.
And finally there in Teignmouth Triangle was the Deputy Mayor Ian Parkes singing for the Rotary Club and their tree of light. And all this is just a fraction of the events on the day!
Stokeinteignhead's Victorian Fayre
A firm date in my diary is always Stokeinteignhead's Victorian Christmas Fayre. This year was even bigger and better than last year, with stalls now in the grounds as well as the hall. The smell of roasting chestnuts greeted us as we arrived which I resisted but only because my eyes had then lit on the spit roasted hog! Well, it was my breakfast. Again I cannot praise this event too highly. Jars of green tomato chutney for £1 were a real bargain and a family favourite and therefore a must buy. As were several jars of marmalade and…….we'll leave it there. A good place to stock up for Christmas, buy presents, from wooden bowls to jewellery or simply just enjoy. All this for local causes, too good to miss.