Leafleting with Andrew Pakes on Bradville

Arrived first at the Labour Hall and about ten minutes later Andrew Pakes arrived, he said he was feeling a lot better from his cold I said I was feeling totally better, and he opened up the Labour Hall to collect the newly printed leaflets for the Stantonbury Ward (incidentially learned that you have to wait for the leaflets when printed to dry as they stick together theres a useless fact for you).

I handed over too him the left over bundle of leaflets from yesterday.

Alan Williams arrived followed by Pete Marland with a very bad cold who decided quite rightly to go home met Cllr Jess Holroyd at the car park, myself and Alan went in Andrew's car with Jess following behind to Bradville.

Weather started off very cold and by the first hour brightend up, Jess went off leafleting on her own and the rest of us carried on together, I keep forgetting my trusty Tribune satchel which I use to keep leaflets in as I am walking around, instead I was given a carrier bag and found it a problem putting leaflets through letter boxes holding a carrier bag felt like I had one hand tied behind my back so asked Andrew if I could put them in his satchel and instead nursed bundles of leaflets in one hand which I found more comfortable (note to self remember my satchel as it is the second time I have forgotten) another problem as I was walking around Bradville which is a bit enbarrassing to admit was that I had not tightened my belt up correctly and my jeans felt like they were falling down when I was walking which hampered my progress wanted to stop and put my belt on another notch but was paranoid that the moment I stopped and did so someone would walk around the corner or look out their window and think I was a flasher and call the Police, so decided against it and periodically kept tucking my shirt and pulling my jeans up very annoying.

Anyway I digress, we got to Bridle Close where my late Grandparents lived they bought 10, Bridle Close brand new in 1981, when my Grandmother died in 1985 my Grandfather sold up in 1986 to move to Dexter Avenue (a shared Ownership bungalow for the over 55's) round the corner from where we lived in Oldbrook, that is not all of the story next door I spotted my retired Headteacher Pauline Irons helping her mother out of her car and heaving out a bag of manure to boot (she was Headteacher at Meadfurlong School in Fishermead which opened in 1980 and I attended at the age of 11 on the first day of opening, also I became a School Governor there in her last year before retirement.) I introduced her to Andrew and we talked about old times and she asked if I was still involved in Council work, the Close looks so established now No 10 has new windows and the garden is so different where are the years going?

We met Rob Marris at the top of the Close after chatting to him it would appear that two weeks ago he was elected chair of Wolverton Branch nice that young people are replacing the old guard always good to have fresh blood to revitalise the Party but I feel like the old guard myself these days.

Had the company as well of Alan when leafleting one street telling me his amusing stories as election agent in the 2005 general election and with Andrew who showed me a large modern detached dwelling in the new estate built only a few years ago I guess, when he canvassed it the owner said he would not vote Labour as it was too right wing however it turned out he was a Tube Driver and official of the RMT Union I guess nothing is too good for the workers how these people forget their roots.

Andrew also told me about the new legislation on HIMO's (Houses in Multiple Occupation)effectively any property where three or more live in a property and are not related the landlord will have to register I said this would be a great help to John Goss campaigning in the Campbell Park Ward where a lot of HIMO's are based in Fishermead.

Andrew felt it would be a good idea to get the Housing Minister John Healy to come and speak to residents on this with perhaps using the Woughton Parish Council Meeting Room as a venue.

We also spoke about the Labour Group and how it would be good to increase its number including a better gender and age balance I feel for our youngest member Cllr Hannah O'Neill as it cannot be much fun being on Milton Keynes Council at the moment.

The first surreal moment of the pre campaign as I put it was seeing a large dog with his/her tail which was dyed pink along with the mane near its head the owner was a hippy type so might explain everything and was following Rob for a while whilst barking all the time can't help thinking what the RSPCA would think of this?

Once we got to Andrew's car he showed us a screwed up leaflet which was done in front of Andrew by a angry resident outside his house Andrew cheekily asked for it back which I thought was great.

We said goodbye to Rob as Andrew was going to drop myself and Alan back at the Labour Hall, Andrew promised to meet Rob at a coffee shop in Wolverton (wonder what they are planning?) it would seem Rob has offered to be a leaflet co-ordinator and get more involved generally which will take the pressure off Andrew a bit good news.

All in all a good two hours solid work and covered a good area of Bradville.

Once I got back to my car I felt exhausted and my foot hurt like hell but drove off to the evil Tesco in Wolverton to do my weekly shopping.