issue 22

CradleyEnquirer.com editor@cradleyenquirer.com
Online News & Topics for Cradley, Storridge & Mathon
asking the questions you want asked and seeking the answers you deserve
Page 2 &3
Page 4
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Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12 & 13
Page 14 & 15
in this issue
Parish Council
Produce Show Schedules
Road to Ruin?
Grumpy George
Local Firms
Pause for Thought
CONSPIRACY CORNER
CONSPIRACY CORNER
Volunteers
Defibrillator
Useful Contacts
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amputation. As this is a
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we have added this icon so they
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issue
22
13th July2018
From The Editor
Friday 13th!! for those of
you who are
superstitious. We at the
Enquirer are of course not
prone to such thoughts and
outdated concepts. BUT it
never hurts to touch wood does
it?
Like the last issue which re-ran
the same article in conspiracy
corner as was in issue 20. The
offending person has been
beaten, flogged to within an inch
of his life and spent 3 days in the
stocks being humiliated by his
peers. Seems to be in line with
today’s media culture where all
must flagellate themselves with
public participation in their lives
Simon
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editor@cradleyenquirer.com

PARISH COUNCIL
Well, it appears that your Parish Council is “keeping it up” ( no
football pun intended) in getting down to business and ending the
chaos that had overtaken it since October 2017.
The councillors now are being provided with FULL information on
each topic placed before them for
consideration and deliberation and are now at
last able to openly debate and discuss topics
to enable them to arrive at courses of action
on behalf of the community they serve.
Until now they have been led to make
decisions based not on facts but on one persons
opinion and interpretation of information
available.
Many of the new inexperienced councillors were understandably mislead
that this was the “norm” for PC business and went blindly along with those
solo made decisions under this misconception and little blame can be
attached to them.
What some may see as undoing this years work is in fact correcting the
unsound basis under which these decisions were made. Building a firm
foundation upon which a successful council can build an institution of which
the community can once again be proud.
A search through our previous issues will show where the Enquirer has
consistently highlighted the errors being made and why they were wrong.
Unfortunately that regime refused to recognise the Enquirer except to blame
us for all that went wrong with the then chair by the then chair.
We understand that the Council has at last adopted its Standing Orders,
adopted a village green policy (highlighted in last issue), broken up the
monolith that was the unworkable Infrastructure group into individual
working groups, agreed to ensure that requests to and answers from HALC
are in writing to make trackable any advice given, (no longer allowing an
individual to present their opinion on that advice as fact), to get to grips with
legal and logistical needs of the new lengthsman, continued
with concerted efforts to seek an amicable and
acceptable solution to the unneccessary action by the
dismissed internal auditor, and most importantly to
Bringing Community together

advance considerably to hopefully, an August starting of a new clerk.
It has to be noted that all of the business of the day was passed by a
large majority of votes in favour of the proposals. A sure sign of a
thinking council.
With a new Clerk pending it is vital to recognise that the heaping of every
little bit of work onto the Clerks shoulders (as per HALC advice) will only
result in a repeat of the last clerk with their inevitable resignation.
Careful consideration should be made to the difference between
keeping the Clerk “fully informed” of everything and the Clerk “doing”
everything. This is where the valuable support of chair and vice chair
comes in(as it has done so in all previous councils): close teamwork at
the top is needed.
More measured Consideration must be made to Clerk’s re-numeration
as recommended pay scales (which the council can ignore upwards) are
sometimes not ensuring value for money or reward for work required.
Value for money is a concept that many confuse with cheapest-Think
about it- It’s not what you pay but what your get returned for that pay!
So when you meet a councillor it might be worth a “well done, keep it
up” as everyone needs a pat on the back when it is deserved.
Spotted at Kingsbridge the other day two hi-vis guys
examining the wood caught in the bridge. When approached
they said that because of the size of one of the logs
they would have to go away and order a JCB to do the
job!! It was pointed out that the old Lengthsman and
Councillor Fielding normally did that job (including errant
logs) in a couple of hours safely and efficiently without the
need of spending hundreds of pounds hiring a digger (and
probably also closing the Road) they were amazed! No
savings there now then but of course it’s only your money.

Online at: cradleyvillagehall.org.uk

Roads to Ruin?
There seems to be an inconsistency over road
repairs. Now whilst Ellie Chowns our local county
councillor has stirred the pot at Hereford council’s
contractors and continued with the excellent
works put in motion over years by previous parish
councils we still have roads still not up to
expectations.
A petition was signed by over 200 people at the
recent Summer Fete demanding that Rectory Lane
be re-surfaced from the Lychgate to the road
through the Village(Bury End Street). Eminently
commendable and only continuing the previous
work carried out by the PC and individuals who braved the bureaucratic
mire that is Herefordshire.
Anything that Ellie can do to expedite needed works will of course be
gratefully received but her assistance should not overshadow the work
already done by members of the community.
A joint effort should always be fully acknowledged and not claimed as a
personal victory. Joint effort must also include consultation of work already
done by others and historical information checked so that the wishes of the
community met in full.
The drive to get double yellow lines outside the Surgery needs to look into
the work done on this very topic some time ago and the conclusions arrived
at in light of the assumed use of the Legion car park. If the road is the only
available parking place then many elderly and less able patients will have a
very inconvenient walk to the surgery from where they park.
The road junction into Buryfields is a disgrace as the top coat of tarmac has
deteriorated over time and now resembles an area of off-roading. This is
not conducive to giving a good impression of a well kept village as the first
road as you enter or safe entry to those who live there.
Buryfield and the Leys is the biggest “ estate “ in Cradley with the greatest
number of cars we would guess but consistently it has been fobbed off for
years that these repairs cannot be done because it is just the top layer and
therefore does not constitute a problem……….
Excuse me but come and look at it or come and drive over
it and then say it isn’t a problem.
Bringing Community together

Meet George the Enquirer’s very own
Grumpy Old Man
CATS! not the big cuddly ones with stripes and spots
that growl and bite your head off but the ones that
live next door and associate themselves with little old
ladies who no one speaks to.
Dog owners have to have chips and passports to go
abroad and under the law are responsible for their
dog’s behaviour and damage causing. In other words
they are responsible as OWNERS of their dog.
Apparently not with cat (not the big man-eaters) “owners”. They
cannot be held responsible for what their cat does even though
they may have paid a small fortune for its presence in their home.
This is because cats are “different” and have under law a right to
roam(as it is in their nature) though killing sheep is also within the
nature of my pet wolf but apparently he can’t do that.
Now whilst I am sure that many people gain great pleasure and
comfort when their little pussy returns to the fold after taking full
advantage of its “right to roam” they should take a moment to look
into where little Tiddles has actually been exercising this right.
On MY property, in my garden and in this weather, because I leave
the patio door open (not being able to afford air-con) in my house!
Now will someone please invent a DNA test and register for cats so
that I can match up the little gifts of poo that they so kindly leave
all around my garden and strong smelling urine that they deposit to
claim MY land as theirs.
My freshly worked border is apparently irresistible to Moggy as it
has trouble telling the difference between this and its cat litter at
home.
With such a data base I would be able to match
poo to pussy and return to its rightful “owners”
with the greatest of pleasure!
Cat owner “ cats are such clean creatures”
YES, because they crap in my garden not yours!!!
Grumpy George

FREE ADVERTISING SPACE FOR LOCAL BUSINESS
Your advert here in full colour with
links to your website. We can design
it free or use your existing design.
Just email: adverts@cradleyenquirer.com
all completely free with no minimum period
required and change it when you want
GREEN FINGERS
gardening
services
Don’t be intimidated.
Advertising here will not loose you
customers That is just a rumour put about
by those who think that the the Enquirer
shouldn’t post the truth

Pause……for Thought
Grumpy George

CONSPIRACY CORNER
All new cars are to be electric by 2040 in the UK.
This represents a big loss in fuel taxation to the
government if people just plug into a domestic
socket.
Now I see everyone is to have a dedicated charge
point for their car in the home. I 'spect it will have a
dedicated meter too so that some exorbitant charge
can be made for electricity used to for the car. Never mind, easy
enough to get round.
Harder to get round is the fact that if everybody is charging their car
at more than the slow rate, at the same time, the electrical
infrastructure will need to be massively upgraded. (and paid for by
someone!)
The talk about putting charge points on
existing lamp posts is laughable. The
wiring to lamp posts is big enough for a
40W bulb not the six or seven KW needed
for intermediate electric car charging.
Fast charging BTW needs around 60Kw.
Now that will be a problem if these points
are grouped on the motorway.
Editors note: We note that on the news on 10th stated that the government Infrasrtucture
Group (didn’t know there was one) are stating that they want 100% electric cars by 2030
Your smart TV may be spying on you — and stopping it is against the law
With the rise of voice recognition controllers in your TV and other devices
along with hidden cameras for face recognition we are entering a frightening
era drugged by the gift of technology and the desire to hand over to
companies large chunks of our lives without thought or question.
The functionality is great for innovation and ease of use (can you imagine
having to push buttons on an old fashioned remote control?), but the privacy
Give voice to your pet conspiracy theory
conspiracy@cradleyenquirer.com

CONSPIRACY CORNER……………………
2
policies tucked deep inside the boxes of these new
TVs and gadgets reads like they were ripped out of a
George Orwell novel: Here's Samsung's:
“Please be aware that if your spoken words include
personal or other sensitive information, that
information will be among the data captured and
transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice
Recognition.”
from George Orwell's 1984:
“Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be
picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision
which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There
was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given
moment. How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any
individual wire was guesswork.”
Want to make things a little scarier? Meddle with the technology on these
new smart TVs and devices, and you may be facing charges under the
Copyright Act. The law prohibits tampering with devices that help prevent
illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted material.
Many devices in addition to smart TVs — things like Siri, FitBit, or even the
GPS navigation system in a car — are constantly collecting data about a
person’s whereabouts and habits, and then transmitting that information
back to the company that created and remotely maintains a device.
OK so you didn’t read the T&C did you? But police and governments have a
habit of getting companies to “part,” (by fair means or foul!) with
information they collect
Government don’t seem to punish companies very much for privacy
infringements do they? I wonder why?
Give voice to your pet conspiracy theory
conspiracy@cradleyenquirer.com

Our new section where you can ask for volunteers for your project or event or club
/group or offer your services online to groups, causes etc.
There is a chronic shortage of people willing or able to give time and help to all
sorts of community projects from Scouts to village halls and as such a community
ceases to be a community when people are NOT involved. We all have pressure in
our lives these days but even an hour of your time now and then can make all the
difference to these groups continuing their work. So, if you are looking for
volunteers or are available email: volunteers@cradleyenquirer.com
Let people know that you are looking for
volunteers long or short term and how and who
to contact or check out below for those looking to
volunteer
If you are looking to get involved and want to help
out but didn’t know how to just let people know you
are available and how to contact you
email: volunteers@cradleyenquirer.com
Bringing Community together

A DEFIBRILLATOR FOR STORRIDGE
Councillor Sarah Thomas is taking the lead the fund
raising efforts to purchase a defibrillator to be
located at Storridge Village Hall.
Her sterling efforts have to date been rewarded with
Ledbury and District Healthcare Trust granting a
donation of £1,000 towards the £1,895 minimum
that we need. This is fantastic news and we are very
grateful to the Trust for their generosity.
Following a great deal of research and lengthy
telephone conversations with potential suppliers, Sarah proposed to the
Storridge Village Hall Management Committee, on which she represents
the Parish Council, that a Lifeline View AED and locked Sentry Cabinet be
purchased through Community Heartbeat Trust (CHT).
The Lifeline View AED has picture images for those who may be hard of
hearing or dyslexic, along with voice instructions. The system works by
calling 999 and the caller will be given a code to unlock the cabinet.
Along with the purchase of the equipment, a free training session will be
given, and we will advertise the date of this in good time to give as many of
you as possible the chance to attend.
Once we have purchased the defibrillator, we hope to adopt the VETs
scheme whereby volunteers are trained to take the AED to the patient in
the community. Training for up to ten volunteers will be provided and,
again, we will advertise when this will take place and invite applications for
the limited number of spaces available.
The CHT will also provide us with a service for fundraising, including a
dedicated online donation page (see below), and they can also provide
collection buckets and pots or envelopes for donations.
The online donation link is:
https://communityhearbeat.charitycheckout.co.uk/StorridgeDefib
You can also pay using online banking:
Account Name: The Community Heartbeat Trust
Sort Code: 20-63-66
Account No: 33949745
Reference:STO022 (this must be quoted)
Cheques (with the same reference) made payable to: The Community
Heartbeat Trust can be sent to:
The Community Heartbeat Trust, PO Box 168, Haverhill, Suffolk, CB9 1AX.

Alternatively, any cheques or cash can be sent/given to Sarah and she will
forward them to the CHT. If you are able to gift aid your donation, Sarah
can supply you with the appropriate form, which will also be available on
www.storridgevillagehall.com, the village hall’s website, in due course.
We will be holding some fundraising events, which we hope you will
support, and we will keep you informed with dates through the Newsletter
and posters around the village. The Red Lion has already agreed to donate
the proceeds from a Quiz Night on Tuesday, 24 July to the fund.
If you have some time to spare to help us in our fundraising efforts, or
have a fundraising idea for us, please get in touch with Sarah by email at
lewenna@yahoo.co.uk or by phone on 07789735239.
HELP US TO SAVE LIVES
Latest figure £1,275 raised

SOME USEFUL CONTACTS, NUMBERS, EMAILS & WEB SITES
editor@cradleyenquirer.com
cradleyparishcouncil.gov.uk
clerk@cradleyparishcouncil.gov.uk
cradleydiary.com
storridgevillagehall.org.uk
cradleyvillagehall.org.uk
Map of Herefordshire
Roadworks and
Traffic Flow
Parish Councils and Wards
Highways and Public
Rights of Way Map
Report a Problem

CradleyDiary.com
now lets you see all planning applications for Cradley
Storridge and Mathon and includes updates and
decisions not shown on the Cradley Parish Council
web site that just shows applications
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FOR THE
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BEFORE FRIDAY PUBLISHING DAY
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