Grand Event on the Park

Today saw the Grand Event at Grove Technology Park with all proceeds going to Helen and Douglas House.

The low cloud put paid to some of the aero displays, but otherwise the weather held and the large crowds appeared to have a great time.

Highlights included an army helicopter, climbing wall, live music, the cockpit section of a C47 Dakota plane and classic cars.

The picture shows racing driver Paul Rees in an ex-Ronnie Peterson March F1 car at the end of this excellent day.

Two Small Requests

Today was a special meeting of the County Council to debate the new constitution - not a subject that captures the public imagination - but before you glaze over - it was an important step in local democracy. The new administration at County Hall was setting out their store of new proposals for running the council over the next four years.

In opposition, we are keen to hold the Cabinet to account and to ensure the public have a chance to have their say too. So one request, was to ask that if a member of the public submits a question to a council meeting, if they are unable to attend for any reason, then someone else can ask the question in their place. The question will have been tabled, so no extra work involved, just a change of name if the person cannot be there. But no, this was too much of a problem for them and the suggestion was voted down.

Secondly, we wished to try to ensure better and effective scrutiny of the work of the council, especially as all the Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Scrutiny committees, are also members of the ruling group. They wished to disband the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Group, which is a forum where all members of all political parties can look at scrutiny reviews, ensure adequate resources are available and prioritise the issues. We proposed to replace this group and have a Scrutiny Management Group of all political parties which would be open to the public (the current meeting isn't) and thus the scrutiny function of the council would be seen to be more outwardly focussed and accountable. But, guess what? The proposal was voted down. We were unanimously supported in our requests by both the Labour and Green groups

I really hope this does not mean that we are going to be battling on like this for the next four years. But there is a chink of light - we are supposed to be reviewing the situation in 12 months time - so we will be carefully monitoring this to see if there really is going to be any improvements.

Oxford City Tour for Army Families

Today I had the privilege of joining young families from Bicester Garrison who came into Oxford for an open top bus tour of the city sights. For many of them, it was the first time they had been into Oxford and they enjoyed the opportunity of seeing all the main tourist attractions, including the colleges, museums and the parks. After the tour, they all came back into County Hall to have tea and cakes with the Chairman and those of us who had joined them. This was an opportunity to express our appreciation to the troops who are currently serving in Iraq, Afghanistan or Cyprus on our behalf. Read more here.

Wantage Day Centre Open Day

I went along this morning to have a look at the activities happening at Wantage Day Centre in Stirlings Close on their Open Day. It was lovely to see the older people taking part in their seated exercise classes, painting sessions and relaxation therapy. There are a whole range of opportunities available here and it was good to talk to the dedicated staff and many of the clients who seemed to be enjoying themselves.

The Mayor of Wantage presented the centre with a cheque for £526 which had been raised by Waitrose supermarket in Wantage from their community fund. This will go to help support the work they are doing by putting in some extra much-needed resources.

Many residents in the area come along to the centre twice weekly, but there are some vacancies so if you or your relatives or friends would like to find out more then see here for contact details and the full range of facilities on offer.

Cropredy is here!

Its the final day of Fairport's Cropredy Convention - another of our local musical festivals. I have been to Cornbury and Wychwood, but this year has seen my first visit to Cropredy (despite the fact that it has been going since the 1970s) and it has been excellent. The rain has held off so far and everyone is so friendly. The stage picture is from Steve Winwood's set on Thursday night which was fantastic and brought back many happy memories. There may still be some tickets available for today. See here for all details.

Thames Valley Police Open Day

I attended this event over the weekend and saw many visitors enjoying the day which was held at the Sulhamstead Training Centre, nr. Reading.

The mounted section, the dog handlers and the fire and rescue service were all there on display for the public to view and ask questions. Read about it here.

As one of the members of the Police Authority for the County Council, it is always welcome to give support to the Force on these occasions and see the hard work they are doing on all of our behalf.

Public Enquiry called on the Reservoir

It was announced this week that the government has called for a public enquiry on Thames Waters' proposals to build a massive reservoir near us at Steventon. You can read the story on the Vale of White Horse website and also the County Council website. The news has been welcomed by both councils and is also a relief that residents can now have an opportunity to have their say. This has been looming over us all for a long time with various proposals coming back to us for 'consultation'. I am also grateful that campaigning for our voices to be heard is now beginning to pay off. Now the whole scheme can be looked at and decided upon. We shall await further news about when this will be taking place. Will keep you posted.

Back from Amalfi

'When the American writer John Steinbeck first saw the Amalfi coast, he was moved to uncontrollable weeping. He was not the first - nor will he be the last - to succumb to the emotional impact of the potent beauty found here.' So reads my Guide Book which I took with me on holiday to Amalfi in Italy for the last two weeks and how well it fits the description. What can I add?

Except to say that I have now travelled on the most incredible bus journey of my life. One day, catching the local 'SITA' bus outside our hotel with a 'Unico Costiera' ticket at the cost of 6Euros, we travelled all the way along the coast from Amalfi to Sorrento and back. A truly rollercoaster ride, zigzagging around the mountains' hairpin bends with sheer jaw-dropping cliff edges and a view of the whole bay of Salerno one side and changing to a view of the Bay of Naples with Versuvius in the background on the other. The highway is so old that it is 'listed' and no alterations can be made to it. There is a weight limit and the buses are the largest vehicles which can travel along it - anyone meeting them has to negotiate with skill - though scraped cars were a plenty! The small towns on the way were built right up to the road edge - so walking the road is as dangerous as driving it, though you can sample a taste of it through this You Tube link. The journey into Oxford will never be the same again!

But now it is time to catch up, as usual, on everything that has been happening whilst I have been away. The weather has been pretty grim here, so I am pleased to have not grumbled about the searing heat but was thankful for my sunhat! I am now ready again to continue to keep you posted.