BACK TO THE SEVENTIES...

In London today.
It feels like 1978 all over again.
The Victoria Line was closed all day - RMT industrial action.
Hugely inconvenient - hope it's open today.
Missed what would have been a lovely, indulgent pre-meeting hour in Tate Britain.
Took overcrowded and sweaty alternative route.
Emerged in Westminster to find wall-to-wall police - some armed - all looking terribly nervous and being elaborately polite and helpful to passers-by.
Of course, as well as the neatly-corralled, high-decibel group of Tamil and other protesters, it was Budget Day.
Perhaps Mr Darling had ordered extra protection, imagining hordes of jobless people, increasingly bewildered and abandoned, descending on Parliament to attack his fantastic & complacent attitude to our economic woes.
To quote Richard Wolf of the Financial Times
"A government that made such large claims for the quality of its economic stewardship hardly deserves to survive such a debacle."
Let us hope, for all our sakes, that they don't.

50+ LINE DANCING....

Ever wanted to try Line Dancing?

Well, Shaftesbury & Villages 50+ Forum gave its members the chance to do just that.

Professionally organised with a VERY patient teacher, we had a great time.

And - it just keeps on getting better doesn't it - IT WAS FREE!!

We welcomed new members, as the evening event brought people who would be at work in the daytime.

To start with, it felt a bit like playing Twister - you forgot which foot was which - but we soon got the hang of the "step behind and rock"etc. and the music was great.

We'll be doing this again - but i'll let you know what my calves feel like tomorrow...

NATIONAL PENSIONS & SAVINGS ACTION DAY

Despite a cold and windy morning, we had a great response to our Pension and Savings National Action Day campaign.
The Town Council had kindly granted permission for us to set up our campaign stall on Park Walk.
As you can see, Apricot was keen to get in on the act, and drew her usual Jack Russell Fan Club!

We were delighted that one of our National MEP Conservative Candidates Don Collier was able to join our band of local volunteers - plying our petitions and clipboards in Shaftesbury.
We had people literally snatching pens out of our hands to sign the petition supporting two key Conservative proposals:

Abolish Income Tax on Savings for Basic Rate Taxpayers

Raise Pensioners' Personal Allowance (Tax Threshold) by £2,000 to £11,490.

All the signatures we collected will give us ammunition to pressure this Government to DO IT NOW.
Because this group of people - savers and pensioners - have been especially hard-hit by the financial crisis, and these people need relief NOW.
It's all very well announcing packages of billions. But what we need are simple, common-sense practical measures, which are even-handed and fair to all and which can actually DELIVER benefits to the individual.
Huge thanks to our wonderful volunteers who pounded the High Street with clipboards and to the endlessly patient shoppers, visitors and walkers in Shaftesbury who took the time to stop and talk to us.

The petitions will be delivered to Westminster tomorrow, and to Downing Street later on this week. will report anything interesting that emerges.

HAPPY EASTER !!

... and this is what I've been doing instead of Facebooking and blogging.

making not eating, of course...

...& ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST...

Very unfunny though.
Yet another shop in Shaftesbury High Street announces a closing down sale.
What will we be left with, come balmier times?
For now, we're simply living in barmy times.
And where are Gordon Brown's billions when you need them?

NO TURNING BACK...

no turning back now.

We're definitely having a new sink...

That wall looks - somehow - very French.

no offence to our European Partners...

HAPPY MONDAY...

Went to hear Mozart's Requiem (& Bruckner Te Deum, plus Brahms Overture "Tragic") in Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday.
The Brahms; never was the performance of an overture more aptly named. .
I have to say that Salisbury Music Society's virtually consonant-free style suited the Bruckner admirably - sort of endless meandering surges of sound.
And just when you think it's about to end - whoosh! He's off again...
In the (unnecessary) interval I walked round the cathedral and enjoyed seeing the stunning new font.
Tourists obviously think it's some sort of wishing well.
Money - in small denominations - has been thrown in!
Wiltshire's answer to the Trevi Fountain, perhaps.
To say that they butchered the Mozart would be far too polite.
Ripped from "navel to chaps", I fear.
Appalling diction, no perceptible dynamics and rhythmically suspect.
Lets not mention the ensemble... nor the tuning.
But, strangely, I really enjoyed it.
Clapped as enthusiastically as everyone else; possibly to stave off hypothermia.
Those great cathedral vaults under the magnificent ceiling are cold!
Nothing like live performance!

OLDER PEOPLE IN THE MAINSTREAM

Very pleased to read AA Gill's prominent article in the Sunday Times Mag yesterday.

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article5980973.ece

Mr Gill certainly hit the spot; highlighting loneliness and isolation.

But - like most people new to the subject - he is at most only partially aware of the vast volunteer army of Forums and Networks; building and operating support systems for older people's services.

Also - as Jackie Allen pointed out - "Older People" are not an amporphous, asexual mass; but a group as diverse as any other in our society.

So, it's great to have you with us Mr Gill; bringing older people's issues into the mainstream, and attracting the attention that we need.

But please investigate Dignity in Care campaign and come and see the Forums in action before you write your next article.

There's a lot of good stuff going on...

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY....

Lovely day here in Shaftesbury.
might get the BIKE out later, once the frost goes .
Just seen David Cameron on GMTV
He looked as surprised as I was that he hadn't been grilled about Stuart Wheeler and UKIP.
(Thank goodness!)
Great that he'll be sitting down with the US President.
As he said, the G20 is a Government beano - so the Opposition Leader can't just "muscle in" as he put it.
So Obama took the opportunity to have a meeting with him.
A serious barometer of international opinion - or a really persistent PA!!
He was sweetly reasonable about the Home Secretary's husband and the whole expenses charade in general.
He does have a knack for the common sense answer - dare I whisper it - like Margaret Thatcher in her glory days.

WE WON THE CUP...

.... or rather, our committee and our Shaftesbury Branch Members won the Cup...

.

Shaftesbury Branch won the new, and extremely handsome, Mason Cup (see pic) for mega fund-raising effort.

Presented at the AGM of the North Dorset Conservative Association by Captain Leigh Mason. Vice President of the Association.

The award belongs to the committee, as they are the best, the most willing and most hard-working group of people I have ever encountered in the Conservative party.

A lively meeting all in all.

(Almost) all change on the Officers Group.

If Shaftesbury wants to hang onto the cup in 2010, there's a new - somewhat more contemporary - challenge.

Get the highest percentage of email addresses for Branch Members.
...which ties in with the task my campaign manager has set me for the weekend... so better get on with it...

STUART WHEELER - BALANCED REACTION

Great speech by one of our MEP candidates at our North Dorset Conservsatives AGM - Julie Girling.
you see, Stuart Wheeler; we ARE talking about Europe in the Conservative Party!
Julie was very clear about our Grouping within the European Parliament,
our voting record (versus that of UKIP)
our attitude and voting record on the European Budget (versus that of the Labour and Lib Dem MEPs)
and our clear commitment on giving Britain a Referendum regarding the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty.
All of this is discussed on numerous websites and blogs.
So assuming Mr Wheeler has a computer, he shouldn't find it too difficult to see that we DO have a position; we DO have policies and our MEPs demonstrate real achievement within a coherent Party organisation; unlike their UKIP counterparts.
Unlike UKIP, which relies on shock-horror, drop-your-marmalade statistics; we should try to consider the whole European question intelligently and without knee-jerk, isolationist rhetoric.
Let's be adult about this and recognise the wider issues.
A European Union in some form has given us the longest period of Western European peace in modern times.
Yes - we agree that the EU wastes huge amounts of money.
Yes - we agree that federalism must not seep insidiously into our nation.
But surely we can be grateful that the last three generations - mine being the first - has not lost the flower of its youth in pointless conflict.

NORMAL SERVICE RESUMED...

After yesterday's excitement, we're back to normal today.

Took 50+ Secretary Brenda and NORDOP Chairman Ann to the DASF Quarterly Meeting in Dorchester. (Dorset Assoc of Senior Forums). Here we all are in the photo.

This is one meeting i really look forward to and hate to miss.

Wendy HIlton is a superb Chair - and the completely honest and gloves-off Round Robin gives us so many brilliant ideas to inspire and improve our Shaftesbury & Villages Forum.

The over-50s in Dorset are really lucky to have these committed and energetic people working - AS VOLUNTEERS - on everyone's behalf.

Forum Devt Officer Hilary Foggo gave an excellent & totally clear presentation on the future of DASF.

...and I only ended up with one extra task!

In future I'll be reading relevant consultation papers for DASF, extracting the guts and providing precis or briefing notes.

Good practice for County Hall and Parliament - fingers crossed!

I invited delegates to submit a Senior-related question for me to ask on their behalf during the Conservative Spring Forum next month.

The Conservatives look daily more likely to form the next Government, (NO COMPLACENCY HERE) so it makes sense to make our presence felt now.

UNEXPECTED TRIP...

OK - Well I was just bringing Harriet back to Shaftesbury to pick up a car.

Readers of this blog will know that I am sometimes required to switch back to Mummy Mode which generally involves a lot of mileage...

As ever, Harriet couldn't travel without a serious nosebag, which is how we came to be at Fleet services, where we saw Geo and Tom (above, with me in the blurry photo!) hopefully holding their placard

"Charity Hitch Hike - South to Portsmouth" said the sign.

So we picked them up, having discovered that they were students form Manchester University, hitching from London to Morocco in aid of Link http://www.lcd.org.uk/events/ , a charity which raises money and runs community development projects in Africa.

I was going to drop them when we left the M3 for the A303. But it was cold and getting dark, and I didn't want to switch on the radio to hear that two young students had either been murdered or hit by a lorry.

So we took the delightful pair to Southampton docks and dropped them outside the ticket office.

They gave us the sweetest note and we'll be following their progress on Facebook,when Harriet gives me the address - given she hasn't lost the note...

More later

THE KITCHEN...

Only one meeting today - off to AMore in Mustons Lane to negotiate menu etc for the 50+ Forum next Lunch Club meeting in May.
The key issue - apart from price and having all food hot - is getting away in time for the Film Club's showing of Dial M for Murder at the Arts Centre.
One of my favourite films; I'll be buying a ticket today...
But today's big challenge is part-demolition of the kitchen and part-installation of the new one.
Thoughtful Olly is doing it in sections so that we can continue to cook etc.
Really looking forward to it - but wish we were away while it was being done!

MOTHER'S DAY

up at crack of dawn - making 12 posies for Mothering Sunday service in church...

was pleased with my first-timer effort until i saw everyone else's elaborate hand-tied bouquets!

Will have to improve next year...

really funny email card - hand made as always - from Harriet.

(see above)

i am certain that I was not wearing an ear to ear grin on my mercy dash to Hatfield with Harriet's forgotten purse, before her skiing holiday.

Still, without being cloyingly sentimental, Jade Goody's death makes

me more than usually grateful to have a daughter at all. So - I suppose it WAS a pleasure.

NDCA SHAFTESBURY BRANCH AGM

Really not as dull as it sounds - no - really!
we had a bit of a shock at one point as the Chairman appeared to step down...
this was done so abruptly, that it woke us all up, in anticipation of a bit of drama and controversy.
But no - settle down everyoe - he was just stepping aside to allow correct procedures to be followed for re-election of officers.
Sadly, there was a complete absence of hordes clamouring for my Secretary role; so it's back in harness for another year at least.
Although, if I DO win the CC election in June, there will have to be a bit of a rethink. we'll cross that bridge if / when we come to it.
We were delighted to have snared Euro Candidate Zehra Zaidi (ZZ Top in my book) as our Guest Speaker.
I have heard Zehra speak before and was looking forward to hearing her.
There is so much confusion generally around Europe. What should our attitudes be? What actually IS the Party line? Why does our vote really matter?
Zehra cleared up all of these uncertainties and more - taking tricky issues (eg Conservatives voting for the overtly racist and politically barren UKIP) - head on.
I'd like to see Zehra briefed to speak to schools & colleges around our region; introducing and explaining Europe to the next generation, from historical, social, constitutional and economic points of view, as she is intellectually more than qualified to do.
She could carry this off with the aplomb that characterises everything she does.
Unsurprisingly, the high point of our AGM... although the wine and food seemed to go down VERY well...

DIGNITY ON THE RADIO

Interviewed by Mid West Radio re Dignity in Care.
Listen tomorrow evening. (or sooner, if it's a slow day for local news)
It's important to get the message out there.

CWO FORUM AT WESTMINSTER

It's always good to visit the Mothership from time to time and the excellent seminar on"Women & Debt" in the bowels of the House of Commons was well worth the (smooth) journey.
As always, I was blown away by the sheer intellectual power of the CWO members - all ages - some holding pretty elevated positions; some just footsoldiers like me.
It was very energising.
I hope some of our North Dorset members will come along on April 22nd.
Pauline Lucas is a formidable Chairman, not to mention Vice Chairman Eve Burt, .
If they can't motivate us - with their infectious enthusiasm and energy - to mobilise the latent political power of women; well, then no one can!
A young girl (aged 19 with 2 yr old haemophiliac son) spoke movingly about how the YWCA was helping her to break the cycle of debt & general social hopelessness, with practical support and education.
Christians against Poverty ( http://www.capuk.org/) explained their holistic approach to debt management, and in doing so, displayed deep sensitivity and again, a thoroughly practical approach to this massive problem.
CAP UK - although a Christian organisation - is anything but exclusive when it come to giving advice. And typically of a successful third sector group like this, it is funded by voluntary donations.

The speakers highlighted the continuing financial vulnerability of women as they usually bear the burden of financial problems for their families.
David Chauke MP (Shadow Treasury Minister) outlined the ways in which a future Conservative administration will approach the problems of debt.
Education, Clearer Information etc...
That was actually a bit pedestrian .
I really hope that they will be MORE IMAGINATIVE, by working with the CSJ and the third sector generally who really understand the problems at its roots.

Time to nip into the House of Lords afterwards to listen to 10minutes of a debate.
Just nice to enjoy the atmosphere.
Do MPs and Life Peers realise just how prvileged they are?
Like I say - to me it's the Mothership.
Home by midnight - and well worth the trip.

FIFTY PLUS FORUM TALK...

Our March Event was a talk by Rob Curtis.

"Turnpikes and Dorset Coaching Days".

Rob - who is ex-RAF - opened with a fascinating introduction to the origins of our road network, before introducing us to the privations, inconvenience and serious danger that the 18th Century traveller signed up for.

I always rather romantically thought that I'd like to have eloped with my dashing lover in a bygone age. But having heard about tollgate thieves, violence and bedbugs, not to mention the footpads and highwaymen - well - perhaps not...

Anyway, Rob was brilliant - as you can see from the rapt expressions above - and we'll certainly be inviting him again....

IN PLAIN ENGLISH...

Delighted that the Local Government Association (LGA) is finally showing some sense.
Let's hope that PLAIN (& dare we hope CORRECT) English will gradually permeate all levels of - better not say community - society.