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David's Blog
October 09 posts
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jgale | 
29 October 2009 at 12:50 | 393 views
Firstly, my congratulations to Yeovil Town FC on beating Bristol Rovers in the local derby on Saturday. The Glovers have had a much better run of games of late. There is still, however, a very small points gap between the play-off places and the bottom of the league, so there is literally all to play for. I am looking forward to visiting Huish Park on 14th November for the game against Southend.
On Friday last week, I attended the University Centre Yeovil Graduation Ceremony at the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil. Most people in our area know about Yeovil College, but there are still a lot of people who are not aware of the University Centre, based at premises off Preston Road in Yeovil.
The University Centre is in partnership with Bournemouth University, the University of the West of England and the University of Gloucestershire.
The University Centre allows people in our area to study for a work-related university qualification, while continuing to live in our area. Many students will also take these courses and exams while continuing in paid work. This not only helps to reduce the level of student debts, but also means that study and employment are able to go hand in hand.
The Awards Ceremony is very well supported by the partner universities, and by the local community – the Mayor of Yeovil, Chair of South Somerset District Council, and Chair of Somerset County Council were all present.
There are these days so many students who are receiving their awards each year that there have to be two sessions – one in the morning, and one in the afternoon. I attended the afternoon session this year, in part because one of my own staff members, Jeremy Gale, was receiving his Professional Certificate in Management Studies (well done Jeremy!). There were also awards in Business and Management, Internet Technology, Teaching and Marketing.
Congratulations to all those who received their awards on this day. There are far too many to name them all in this column, but I will particularly mention those who received Special Awards in the afternoon session – Graham Cheetham, Gareth Preston and James Guest.
Our thanks, also, to the Principal of Yeovil College, James Hampton, and to all those at the College and University Centre who have made this development such a success.
On Saturday morning, I held Advice Centres in Ilminster (very quiet) and Crewkerne (very busy). I then travelled to Yeovil to attend the local launch of the Poppy Appeal, with the Mayor of Yeovil - Wes Read, his Deputy – Phil Chandler, and with South Somerset District Council Chairman, Ian Martin.
Peter Brock and the British Legion had arranged an excellent launch event, with military vehicles from the World War Two era on site to remind people of some of the many wars in which lives have been lost.
Last year a record amount was raised from the Poppy Appeal, and this year the Legion wants to set a new record. In theory, this should be very tough with a recession still limiting people’s disposable income. But I have no doubt that people will give very generously – not least to support our servicemen and women who are risking their lives out in Afghanistan at the present time.
I would like to thank in particular all those who help to collect the money – often by standing outside with collection boxes in rather miserable Autumn weather.
Saturday continued for me with a military theme, as in the evening I attended the Trafalgar Night Dinner with the local Sea Cadets – at the Masonic Hall in Yeovil. These dinners are held to commemorate the anniversary of Nelson’s great victory in the battle of Trafalgar, on 21st October 1805. This crucial battle undermined Napoleon’s chances of establishing control of the English Channel, and prevented him from sending his invasion force of 200,000 troops across the sea to England.
We were particularly honoured to have at the dinner Ron Walsh, who served in the Royal Navy in World War Two, and who was present when HMS Foylebank was attacked by Stuka bombers in 1940 in Weymouth. During this action a fellow sailor, Jack Mantle, was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross. His name is still remembered today, through our local Sea Scouts.
David.
jgale | 22 October 2009 at 09:12 | 334 views
Last week ended for me on a very relaxing and positive note – watching Yeovil Town FC beat Carlisle by 3-1 at Huish Park.
There were some excellent goals, and Yeovil’s performance in the first half was as good as in any game which I can recall in the last year. My congratulations to Terry Skiverton and all his players on their success – which must have given them, as well as Yeovil fans, a real boost.
After the game, I had to catch the train to go back up to London, to attend a meeting with Party Leader Nick Clegg and with my predecessor Paddy Ashdown - to discuss the coming General Election. The meeting was supposed to be earlier in the evening, but it had to wait on the Yeovil game!
Last week was a busy week, with a lot to catch up on after Parliament’s long recess.
At present, the Government is trying to get MPs and Lords to agree to its latest legislation so that this can be passed into law before the current Parliament ends in mid November. So there are lots of debates and votes in order to decide on the final shape of legislation, and sometimes the Government has to back down on some issues in order to secure support in the House of Lords (where there is no Government majority).
On Monday, I questioned Schools Secretary – Ed Balls – in the House of Commons. On Tuesday, I held a large number of meetings on Education Policy, including with Christine Gilbert - the Head of OFSTED, the schools inspectorate.
On Thursday, I returned to our area in the morning, and in the afternoon I travelled to Sir John Colfox School in Bridport, for the official launch of the new “Language Double Club”, with Yeovil Town Community Sports Trust.
This is an excellent initiative to help boost the teaching of foreign languages in schools, and this is linked up with sports coaching. So, instead of learning modern languages in a very dry and uninspiring way, young people are taught French with a football theme for 45 minutes, and they then have a further 45 minutes of football coaching – but only using the French language!
Yeovil Manager, Terry Skiverton, and Yeovil Town player Jean-Paul Kalala had both travelled down for the launch – and Jean-Paul spoke to the pupils in French about his life, and then answered questions in French.
The teaching of modern languages in schools has been in steep decline in recent years, and I hope that this initiative will help to stimulate a bit more interest amongst young people.
I am hoping that some of the schools in South Somerset will be able to take up this scheme in the future.
Later on Thursday I held a Roving Advice Centre in Merriott, and on Thursday evening I went home and signed letters for about 4 hours (my Yeovil staff had been working very hard as usual, and had not wanted to post papers up to me in London because of the threatened postal strike.)
On Friday morning, I travelled to Brymore School, near Bridgwater. This is a secondary school which specialises in farming and rural technologies. It is a rare state funded school, because most of the 250 pupils board at the school, and a lot of their work is very practical and some of it involves working outside on the farm – which is part of the school.
In the afternoon, I returned to my Yeovil Office and held a meeting with Michelle Hargreaves, the Managing Director of Stagecoach buses. There have been lots of problems with local bus services over the last couple of months, since a new timetable was introduced. There have been long delays on many routes, with buses regularly turning up late. There have also been complaints in villages such as Merriott about the irregularity of bus services.
Stagecoach assured me that they are planning to introduce a new timetable as soon as possible, which should resolve the issues of delays. The County Council is also arranging two more morning services from Merriott, and one additional return service from Crewkerne, and this should help address some of the concerns about bus frequency.
On Friday afternoon, I held a Roving Advice Centre in Tatworth, and then a second one at Henson Park in Chard.
This week there are debates in the House of Commons on the Economy, Equitable Life, and Climate Change.
When I return to our area at the end of the week I will be holding Roving Advice Centres in South Petherton and in Tintinhull, and Advice Centres in Yeovil, Ilminster and Crewkerne. I will also be attending the Yeovil College Awards on Friday afternoon, and the Yeovil Poppy Appeal Launch on Saturday.
On Saturday evening I will be speaking at the Trafalgar Day Dinner in Yeovil.
Best wishes,
Ever,
David.
PS: My next Advice Centres are in: Yeovil (Friday 23rd October, Saturday 7th November), Ilminster and Crewkerne (Saturday 24th October), and Chard (Saturday 14th November). All details from my Yeovil Office on 01935 423284.