"At the outset of the Second World War ... Anglesey was one of the poorest areas of the United Kingdom. Holyhead, for example, saw itself as a forgotten town, battling against the effects of deep recession and chronic unemployment."There will be more from this excellent book on Sunday.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Quote of the Day (Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose version)
From "An Island At War" by Geraint Jones, a history of Anglesey during WW2:
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35 comments:
this is a great blog, I'd be chuffed if you look at my blog and site at http://www.burnred.co.uk/blog I'm based in Llangristiolus, cheers, Philx
e-mail me f you'd like to share links/entries info etc...
phil@burnred.co.uk
A fascinating quote, and I look forward to more. Not because I like to wallow in our collective misfortune, but because it helps us get a better grasp of what it is that is 'wrong' with Anglesey.
My tuppence worth? (1) Geographical remoteness and the A55 really has transpired to be nothing more than the Anglesey Bypass, as was widely predicted.
(2) Resistance to change; people are wary of outsiders and new ideas. (3) Lack of external cultural, business and political influences, especially in local government, although the hoped-for change with Bowles seems to have failed miserably. (4) Not everywhere can actually be successful and attractive. (5) Lack of a serious, coherent identity for the island. It's everything and nothing at the same time. It could have been cast in stone as an unspoilt tourist destination, but we seem keen to go down the same development roads as anywhere else. It could have been a clean environment manufacturing area. Now it's 'Energy Island'. We can hope it will work, but the economic and jobs benefits and not yet clear, beyond Wylfa B, perhaps.
Much as I love the place, it's hard to conclude there is any future for young folk who want a challenging and rewarding career. That lies well beyond the bridges. I suppose they could also join the RAF and look down on the island from a better place above!
Phil Jones:
The 'Hitler in Llangefni planning outburst' is the funniest thing I've seen for an age.
Thanks.
I found this today -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y32RgGjP6Sc
funny how humour is close to the bone
So Bowles did actually star in his own propaganda film then after all.
@ Councillini
There is nothing wrong with Anglesey - it is a paradise - the only thing wrong is the people - and i think most of the people aren't really that bothered its only those who are hungry for power - the established old school
What was the traditional name for Anglesey's inhabitants - Moch Mon - so its not a new thing really is it.
How right you are Y cochyn sais. However, not all of us are of that established old school. Some of us were elected to change all that in 2008 and we will, you can be sure of that. It will happen.
"Bowles has failed dismally". That must be the understatement of the decade, but so true.
Insider - How right you are Y cochyn sais. However, not all of us are of that established old school. Some of us were elected to change all that in 2008 and we will, you can be sure of that. It will happen.
That will not happen until people in your position go public with EVERYTHING they know irrespective of confidentiality clauses etc, AND are willing to give evidence to send some of these people to Court and assist the SOCA people in seizing the private assets of others.
Are you willing to be the first do that? Blaze the trail?
Are you?
24th 17.58
Lets not hold our breath...I`m afraid INSIDER is full of flatulence ?
When people on this Blog make positive assertions, they may reasonably be expected to be factual and correct....sadly that is often not borne out.........?
Lets not hold our breath...
Rude comments not required thank you.
So it's official.
David Bowles, Anglesey County Council's interim Managing Director has fell hook line and sinker in to making a complaint to the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales against County Councillor Barrie Durkin, with such people giving evidence against him as Ex Councillors David Lewis-Roberts and Tecwyn Roberts, along with Clive McGregor, Hefin Thomas, Petter Rogers and Lynn Ball.
After years of exposing dishonesty within the County Council just to see it all covered up, fancy giving Cllr Durkin this opportunity, not just to expose the Council publicly but to expose those involved in the cover ups.
The main complaint against Councillor Durkin relates to his exposer of the Director of Legal Services/Monitoring Officer involving her alleged planning scandal. Other include planning scams by an ex and current councillors and alleged fraud involving housing grants and councillors care allowances.
In this weeks Holyhead and Anglesey Mail, the Interim Managing Director sent in to help Anglesey County Council move forward David Bowels, is quoted as saying "Cllr Durkin is a scandalmonger" in fact, in David Bowles Complaint, he tells the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, that "Councillor Durkin is an Inveterate Scandalmonger"?
Is this really the way for someone who has been sent to Anglesey to help its Council move forward to behave? Is It little wonder that he's failed dismally and by his own actions brought the Council to the point of destruction? Is this really the way to spend the tax payers of Anglesey's money?
LOCAL TRADER APPEALS AGAINST PLANNING DECISION.
FEZ-WEARING businessman The Shopkeeper off of Mr Benn is on the verge of having his costume hire business shut down by th elocal council, after failing to obtain planning permission for the various other worlds he keeps at the back of the shop.
"It's only a tiny portal" says a disappointed The Shopkeeper. "But my livelihood depends on it. My customer's not going to want to put on a cowboy outfit or a caveman outfit without being able to step into an adventure where my back yard should be."
The Shopkeeper is expected to appear as if by magic before a planning committee later this week to appeal against the decision.
"If Lynn ball can have planning why not me" he muttered into his Fez.
"Cllr Durkin is a scandalmonger"
So is Bowles denying these scandals exist, or is he saying Durkin (a peoples elected representative) has no right to make them public?
I personally believe that it is the mandatory DUTY of elected officials at all levels to make every bit of maladministration, malfeasance and corruption 100% public.
The Council belongs to us and answers to us and must be brought to heel and made to do our bidding.
For years, a small group have came paigned to be heard, their voices ignored, no one ever listened. Their plight was simple, they were victims of a viscious campign to have their business and property erased, the Council were succesful and no one cared. We are still in the same position as we were in the 1970's, the Council is there to abuse and oppress the people, it's that simple. what they want theyr get, and no one listens no one cares, until one day,the day when people revolt and fight back, words are meaningless, they are a waste of time, it's time for a new way of thinking, a new way of living and before we do this, we must focus on one thing, and that is RIDDING this Island of the rubbish we have representing us at the moment and starting afresh, that's why I am where I am, and you are where you are, but together we can make things happen.
AN ACCIDENT-PRONE PENSIONER has described his shock at discovering that he was the unwitting star of a 1970s television series.
Mr Frank Spencer a retired 68 year old with learning difficulties, says he had no idea he was being followed by a camera crew and only realised when the series was repeated six or seven times on BBC2 last year.
"I was having a lot of harassment at the time" he admits. "The BBC was taking adavantage of my bad luck.I'm very upset.It wasn't a very nice thing to do.Hmmm.
Mr Spencer was secretly filmed from 1973 to 1978 as he suffered a series of mishaps and continually failed to hols down a series of low paid jobs, During the course of the series, made as Spencer was attempting to get over the death of his mother millions saw him:
Desperatley trying to hold on to his job as Managing Director of Anglesey County Council.
Flying around in a balloon then crashing in a field on mynydd bodafon.
Clinging to Carl Sargeant as they desperatley try to find a way forward.
When asked about Barry Durkin and the accusations of bad behaviour in the offices of the Council, according to Frank " I don't know anything about it, Clive did, he has let them make me look a fool, but I'm not a fool.I'm just a little bit clumsy. That's why I'm living in a home now. I've got nothing. I don't even have my beret any more. The cat did a whoopsee in it, and I had to throw it out."
Hoping that this page is still focussed on the "Island At War" book and the description of Holyhead, of all the times I have travelled via Dover not once have I felt the need or desire to go shopping in Dover. The same applies for Harwich etc etc. Equally when flying from a UK airport one has no need to visit the adjoining city. The success or demise of towns must depend on the inhabitants. Shiny bridges and the like mean nothing to the traveller. The shame is, that such towns become dormitaries with super and megastores (which became the preferance of the people). Nowadays, consultants are credited with a better ability to determine what we want more than the people and so many times they are actually correct. So where does that leave us? How can a restoration of towns like Holyhead begin. One STAR attraction in Holyhead is the Maritime Museum, all praise and thanks for the dedication of the team for their inspiration and hard work, We elect County Councillors to act on our behalf, instead of backbiting why don't they get to work FOR this island?
Skerries
I need clarification please Druid.
The auditors report which became the catalyst for intervention by the Assembly was for the year 2007-2008 and highlighted problems relating from the County Council's inception to April 2008, that been the case.
Why are the new members elected in 2008 like Cllr Durkin getting attacked and abused publicly by David Bowles for something which had nothing to do with them?
If it had nothing to do with them, why doe 'some of them' keep going on and on and on about such matters?
"Cllr Durkin's approach over a long period of time exhibits exactly the behaviour that has been singled out for adverse comments by the Welsh Audit Office and Welsh Minister"!
David Bowles. Holyhead and Anglesey Mail. 25th August 2010.
...................................
Councillor Durkin."We would like to thank you for taking the time to meet with us recently in order to discus various issues in respect of the Craigwen purchase and the forthcoming Corporate Governance Inspection".
You have highlighted various matters through your own investigation into Craigwen, many of which WE consider support the need for the Corporate Governance Inspection.
PriceWaterHouse-Coopers. 23rd March 2009.
...................................
The procedure which was followed followed not only failed to satisfy the requirements of the Council's Constitution but was also contrary to statute (Section 11(7) of the Local Government Act 2000). The decision arising from this UNLAWFUL procedure may therefore be challenged.
Lynn Ball. Report to the Executive Sept 2007 re: Acquisition of Craigwen.
...................................
So what does Bowles think he's playing at, incessantly attacking Cllr Durkin? How many officers is he trying to cover up for and why?
Does the Welsh Minister know that David Bowles is telling lies about him?
"The auditors report which became the catalyst for intervention by the Assembly was for the year 2007-2008"
This isn't quite right, nor is the suggestion that after 2008, things were fine. There were concerns leading to the Auditors recommending the Auditor General investigate, and those were probably based on the report you quote, so I guess you could say that was a catalyst.
But the recommendation for an intervention board (nicely renamed the 'recovery' board) came from Jeremy Colman's July 2009 report, which followed an investigation during April 2009. The wording is clear and specific in saying (summary, point 7, page 5):
"We concluded that the Council has a long history of not being properly run, from its inception in 1996 to the present day".
So, he clearly had at least up until the end of April 2009 in mind as being part of the troubled whole.
TGC
I stand corrected, but the new members were only in it for a short while before intervention and the major problems occurring after the 2008 election were caused by those who found themselves out of power and could not accept it, particularly as they found themselves under scrutiny as were some Officers.
The whole intervention was engineered to cause the new administration as much trouble as possible.
The Welsh Audit Office were told this but it was all brushed up. At least now David Bowles has complained to the Ombudsman, no stone will be left unturned, unless he throws the complaint out, then we will never here of it again.
No stone unturned indeed.
It is believed that the Complaint against Councillor Durkin by David Bowles, also brings in to question the honesty of the former Managing Director and his dealings with the North Wales Police, begging the question, instead of receiving a pay off. Why was he not sacked for gross misconduct? we will have to wait and see when all is laid bare through the Ombudsman.
I wonder how many people, like me, are getting completely bored waiting for all those matters (seemingly without a scrap of evidence) to be "laid bare". If there is any evidence at all, where has it come from??
If it had not for the County Council trying to cover it all up you would have seen it all long ago.
19.57 I did not ask about (as you say) the CC covering up. I asked "If there is any evidence, where dod it come from" simple question to answer but here we do not seem to get answers.
22:32
If there is evidence.....
Documentation and Tangibility.
Putting it another way.In writing and what is there that can be seen with the human eye for all to see.
If you are so interested, don't keep leaving the ground work to others, go search the records for yourself, It will take you a very long time but you will find it worth it.
That's if you know where to look now that the Council have hidden most of it.
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