Wigan Council never learn... Special Needs

Many will remember the highly aclaimed and respected school in Standish at Boars Head - Mere Oaks. It was a school that everyone in Wigan supported - apart from Labour Cllrs that voted to close it of course.

Parents formed a camapign group to save it from closure and whilst they kept it open longer the Council got their way and closed it and sold the land off for development. The council got millions for the land and get massive Council Tax every year from the houses on there as they are in the top banding.

I was pleased to be able to be part of that Save Mere Oaks group and support them where I could. Years after, I still talk with many of the parents and some of the children that went to the school and it was a great to see how Mere Oaks supported them and how they achieved great things after Mere oaks. On a negative note I saw and heard horror stories how some of the children that were moved and moved again after Mere Oaks closed. Those children education suffered and there was a generation of children were effected. It was not only their education that suffered but their lives as well. Moving school is hard enough but to keep moving for these children is harder.

With Wigan Council looking to mess these children around again and change their Speacial Needs offering it just shows what a huge mistake that was to close the school as they have to keep messing and chaing their offering.

However, you would think Wigan Council would learn and not keep messing with these vulnerable children's education and lives. They need the best support and then keep it but yet again you will see with this link that yet again yes yet again Wigan Council are looking to mess them about again. Shameful!

In the Council's consultation they say they have had amazing support to do this. I doubt that and I actually challenge on this blog here and now to the Council - PROVE YOUR CLAIM! When they closed Mere Oaks School we got over 27,000 names on a petition and took it not only to the Town Hall but also Downing Street.

I am now in contact with some parents and looking at what we should do next? It maybe to put a group response into Wigan Council's consulation and to include stop messing with these children's lives and it maybe that a new group is formed to fight their changes.

One thing I remember was I  was invited to Mere Oaks last sports day and it was a great occassion celebrating all what the school and children had achieved - with parents and suporters. But one of the children came up to me and as he knew I was a Cllr he asked me to do one thing. He said tell them Cllrs that closed our school we will never forgive them and we want you (meaning me) to never let them forget it! I  promised him that and I will honour that promise for ever.

This easy how MP's should vote for Brexit!

So we have heard so much about Brexit and this and that and the Jo :Public just want the MP's to sort it out.

After much going back and forward I have thought how can this complex issue be resolved?

Yes, the simpliest way is for all MP's to vote for the will of the people as a whole. That seems too hard for them to do. That how it should be but the remain MP's seem determine to vote against the will as the people and I hear on tv shows like Sky and BBC that the MP's say they represent their constituent. OK why does each MP vote how their constituent vote. That way they can say they are truly represent the constituents.

I am aware that there are 650 areas and 650 MP's but I am not sure hoiw many of them voted for leave or remain but this is one way out of this mess.

Dianne Abbott says the BBC is trying to Legitimising racist abuse

So Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secetary, has accused the BBC of Legitimising racist abuse because of the her time on the BBC show Question Time this week.

Many will know that at times I call the BBC - the British Bias Corporation - for being so heavily biase towards the Left, but for Dianne Abbott to accuse them of this is nonsense. Yes, we know there are some idiots out there that call people for disabilities, for being black or other discrimination, but if you are in the public eye you have to be held account for what you say, do and policies. And if you can't handle that maybe politics is not for you. 

After her car crash of an interview (below) on police funding, it is clear that she really doesn't have a clue. And therefore the question is can people say she is a joke? Of course they can. Now that doesn't mean she can't be an MP because she is thick as she may have other qualities that we do not know that her constituents like her for. I am not aware of any myself but when people question her for saying things like 10,000 extra police will cost £300,000 at year. She hasn't a clue and she was meant to have been on the radio promoting a Labour Policy.   

Labour can't say this was a one off, she was illl or anythign else because it happens time and time again. And this is what people call her for.

Back to the BBC show and on there it was not hard for the members of the panel and the audience, as well as the host of the show to pick holes in what she was saying. And any one that is critising her for what she said on the show, and any other show/ interviews, are not  because she is black they are doing it because she is thick! If she was white she would get the same kind of abuse and it can be said that Tory MP Boris Johnson gets a fair bit of critisiing for being a Baffoon and he's white. 

View the video of her on BBC Question Time

It is these left wing PC brigade that says she is being called for because she is black is non sense and demonstrates why they shouldn't be in office. because as soon as anyone uses free speech to voice concern on someone who cannot answer questions on policy they say o it is because she is black. It is shear nonsense and the Labour and the PC brigade should understand this. 

Man you have to check this band out - Postmodern Jukebox

All the thousands of people that read my blog know that primarily it is about the local Politics and many of you will know I have a real passion for Music too, having studied Jazz, Contemporary and Popular Music at Music College studying the trumpet and flugel horn. I know that we all see the top bands on the TV's and radio that are pushed by the record companies but I know a lot more of bands out there which are incredibly good.

One such band is Postmodern Jukebox. The band is lead by Scott Bradlee. He is not only leading a great band but making a great brand as well. They tour around the world extensivly and are coming to the UK next month. Trust me if you get to one of their gigs you will not be disappointted.

One great thing about Scott and the band is they take popular tunes and songs that you will have heard off and then sprinkle their magic on them and turn them into great version. Below is one such tune It's all about the bass. Have a look. As you will see it is not only a great version but all the band members are digging it and getting into it. " bass players playing the bass at the same time doing a duet. Amazing. 3 great singers that have great versatile tones and each bring their own magic to it. Their version of this song has an incredible spell on it that makes you want to watch more and more.

See told you want to watch more...lol.

So there are bands out there that do a great song and live of that one song but no not this one. There is so many videos and I know when I shared this video on my facebook site so many people got in touch and said who is this band where can I get more. This is one of the reason for writing this blog post as people form all ages love this band.

Something that I am sure that many people can connect with is when they were in secondary school and music lessons and for those that were given the tambourine just stood there bored and thinking I want this to end tapping it. Or it could have been another similar instrument. But just watch this next video -what energy! It shows how this Band Leader  - Scott Bradlee - can pick great musicians.

If you watch a number of these videos you see the band members change regular and this is an unbelievable quality of him to be able to do this. Band members and musicians and keep swapping will bring challenges of it's own so with him doing this so welll it shows one of his great qualities.

But back to this video and not only is it an incredible song and version but shows how they can have fun playing their music and this makes the shows mesmerising.  Anyway have a look at this second video.

My last example is the great song by the stunning musician known as Prince called Purple rain. For me there are certain songs that a legendary and should not be covered as they are very hard to try and get close to and also they should be untouchable. Purple Rain is one of those songs but just look at how Scott makes this song simple with a singer and himself and yet again he gets another marvelous singer that does this song proud. It does the song proud. Magical !

You can see why Postmodern Jukebox has millions of views on their videos and follows around the world and also growing too. So go buy their songs and even better go and see one of their great shows you will glad you have. A graet night out listening to great musicians and live music. Can't beat it !

These are just 3 videos but go and check their website and youtube page out and see more, you will not be disappointed.

Will our MP's just shut and deliever what the people voted for - LEAVE !!!

I am sick to death of hearing on our news channels people being interviewed and remoaners coming out with statements like, "We know what people want now?" How do they? Or, "the people have changed their minds on Brexit and that is why we need a second vote?" Where or how do they know if people have changed their mind? No one has ever asked me for example nor any of my fmaily, friends or other people I know. What they are really saying is - we didn't get the answer we want so we want to have another go. No ! Democracy - if it wants to hold any credibility - is that we get what people wanted - out of the EU. I do like it when you hear people say they voted remain but they say that we leave the EU and this should happend because that was the result of the referendum.

Although, I do speak with lots of people and what I pick up from them is - and they share my views - we are sick to deatrh of these MP's dithering and what should happen is very simple we leave. Then any deal is secondary and comes after we leave. You don't say in any discussion - like some of the MP's are saying - we don't leave unless we get a deal. That was not on the ballot paper. The ballot paper said in or out! NO mention of any kind of deal. It was such a simple question and with these MP's saying that people didn't know what they were voting for. How insulting that they give so little respect to the people of the Country.

The simpliest question ever put to the people of the UK. Very clear question - Clear result 

One thing I do take comfort in is there is only 71 days now till we leave the EU and out of those days MP's are only sitting for 30 odd days. This means that it is far more likely to leave with no deal. Once we have left with no deal then the sides will talk about serious trade deals because at the minute the Remoaners and the EU do not want serious talks with us as they want to hinder the issue so we stay in the undemocratically polticial project which is called the EU!

Dianne Oxberry Dies Sad News - My memory of being interviewed by her

Many, if not most, of us will have seen and or heard Dianne Oxberry either telling us the weather on BBC TV shows or saw one of the other shows she presented or heard her on Radio BBC Manchester. It sad that today we learnt that she has sadly passed away yesterday.

Out thoughts and prays go out to her family at this time.

I had the fortunate pleasure of being interviewed by her live on BBC Manchester and what fun.

I had the previous day had a call from the BBC and they said that they had heard I was bring a Statue of George Formby to Wigan and they asked if I could go in to the Studio in Manchester the following day to be interviewed? It was an early start but I agreed. I didn't know who was doing the interview. When I arrived I was taken into the studio and there was Dianne and her co host  Eamonn O'Neal. I was seated next to her in the studio and they played good cop bad copy about George and it was Dianne that was playing the bad cop in all of this - Booo. It was for the show the good cop bad cop. 

What I rememebr about her and the interview that it was incredibly from start to finish and she was full of life and the banter she gave me and  Eamonn was incredible, she was funny whitty and incredibly intelligent and although she was playing bad cop about George saying she didn't get it and where there still people that followed George Formby. I said to her live on radio if you need to ask that question I will take you to Blackpool to one of the George Formby conferences. 

I have never had so much fun in an interview as it was just shear light-hearted fun banter between us.

t the age of 51 when she died yesterday it is an incredible waste as she offered so much to her viewers, listeners and to her family. 

RIP Dianne

Give Trump his wall that is what people voted for

So with Brexit and what is happening with Donald Trump politics is changing. Whether it is for the better or worse things are changing. One thing that shouldn't change is democracy and respecting the results.

Yes a vote for someone is a vote for someone at that time and things can change but things do not change that much over night. One of the things with Trump when he ran for President was him talking about the damn wall and again rightly or wrongly people voted for him and the Democrats should respect that. Yes they have won one of the houses in Washington but that doesn't change the wall issue and it seems that there was a meeting and the President looks like he was willing to compromise but the Democrats over the wall. No wonder he walked out.

Yes Trump shoots from the hip and I am not sure if it is all stupid as he is getting some amazing things through, high employment and low unemployment and and also lower taxes to pay. Got to be a good thing but these get very few air time so no wonder he goes on about Fake News.

Things are chaing and with Brexit our politicaians should deliever on the vote and people should respect the outcome of the people vote and stop talking about keep getting another vote because they don't like the outcome.

Labour all talk but they don't want to be called....

It is so funny seeing and hearing what has gone on tonight's full Council meeting. First of all Labour shut the meeting down because they didn't like what was being discuused and them being critised for carrying out ILLEGAL actions to opposition Cllrs.

The issue - suprise suprise was Cllr Bob Brierley and the illegal sanctions they were going to put on him. They have been told time and time again that they are illegal and they keep saying well take us to court then. To be fair to the Council, Cllr Bob Brierley keeps shouting it and he either needs to put up or shut up otherwise it is just hot air coming out of his mouth.

Interesting to hear that Alison McKenzie Folan has put her name forward to be the new Chief executive of the Council. Wither her being so closed to the outgoing one Donna Hall - who wasn't there tonight for her last meeting - a number of Cllrs are asking would things change under her? Interesting as I think - and again to be fair to the Council and the new Leader Cllr David Molyneux - they probably want things in that dept to change and don't wany any more controversail high court hearings to go against them.

Whilst we are on about the Labour Leader and his Deputy they refuse to meet indpendent Cllrs because it always comes out on this blog or the facebook page Wigan Council what are you doing to our town? So they come out with this crap that we should all work together but really they don't and everything they do is political and just for them to win seats rather than them respecting the electorates that have voted in whoever as their Cllr.

With May coming around fast I guess residents should just get used toa very long election period. Even in Standish already Labour candidate has put out the worst leaflet this week I have ever seem which is begging for votes in May. Desparation. Then the Tories have also put out a poor leaflet talking about nothing and the Standish Indpendents will be soon putting out a leaflet with how crime is going up in Standish  and the Tory Cllr Whittingham said he would get the police station re-opened. Never mond re-opend we have mo coppers in Standish or Wigan due to the heavy cuts that the Tories have done.

Happy New Year and what idiots

So this is the  first blog post of the new year and I want to wish you a Happy New Year.. I hope you all had a great Xmas and New year. As for me probably one of the worst, due to me being rushed into Hospital prior to Xmas and having an emeergency 7 hour operation which kept me in hiospital for a few weeks. Thankfully I got out for New year and was able to spend it with my family. Slowly but surely I am on the mend and hopefully I will be back to some kind of normality by Feb/ March of this year.

So there has been much discussed on the news and net on the harashment and intimidating of the idiots that shouted at Tory MP Anna Soubry. Now whilst I do not share the same thoughts and feelings towards Brexit as she does but whilst being interviewed on Sky News with insults from some idiots.

There is much being discussed whether the police should have got involed. Had the plice got involved I am pretty sure the discussion wuld be the police wehere heavy handed and shouldn't have got invovled. I have seen the clips and it is clear that harashment is questionnable and intimidation possible. But whether these meet the threshold of beig is a crime is subjective. I would probably say not but who are these idiots because if it is not a crime it is certainly stupid. Do they work and booked holidays or are they on benefits? If on benefits I bet they are at other demos and whilst it is ok for people to be able to protetst I would ask that they give more evidence of trying to find work rather than shouting and chanting stupid comments at people.

Also it doesn't help people that voted for Brexit and remainers will try and say all people that voted for Brexit are like these moroan which is again stupid but it is what being said on the net.

Anyway, for what it is worth I think we will leave with no deal, which maynot be a bad thing. It is what you make it and after all the people saying if wer voted out then we would go into recession they were wrong. No one knows the future and no one can predict the future - otherwise they would be winning the lottery every week.