Leafleting on Heelands

The weather was quite sunny and warm with an occaasional hint of rain which never arrived!
Today I was finishing off the direct mailing from last weekend, it was a tale of two halfs, with one end of Heelands to leaflet and once I finished that I drove to do the other end.
It was quite uneventful apart from making one lady jump as she was putting her pink recycling bag out just as I walked up her driveway I apologised and she was quite ok with it, it does make me laugh not at her discomforture but my lack of being able to scare any one in my other areas of my life perhaps if I could I would not get so much crap off other people.
Nice not to have to travel far today to go leafleting and so my old car had bit of a rest.

Leafleting at Great Linford

Saturday 27th March 2010 - Arrived at the Great Linford Local Centre car park nice to see a good team out and two new team members one from Blakelands and Willen.
Andrew Pakes promoted me to the dizzy heights as the team leader as we split in to two teams of three as he said I was organised enough to have brought my own holdall to put direct mails in and supplied me with a google map.
Andrew laid the piles of direct mails in street order on the tarmac so that I could pick them up and put them in order in to my holdall.
The direct mails were aimed at Labour voters who did not have postal votes.
We then went our separate ways and my team started on a section of 1970's former MKDC housing which was like a warren with a very complicated numbering system I split the round amongst the three of us and could not find a section of house numbers and walked round and round getting frustrated, until a kind postman in his van pulled the window down and asked if he could help me and pointed me in the right direction when I showed him the house numbers I was after.
He informed me that there were a number of properties that were along an alleyway with the front doors very much hidden, as I was delivering I noticed he was starting to follow me as he too was trying to find a property that he had to deliver a parcel to, he told me the number and I was sure it was across the road and was at the end of a terrace as I noticed it when I was previously lost, he did not believe me until a resident opened the door and said she was waiting for a parcel to be delivered and confirmed her door number, he turned round and said you were right, so in the end we both helped each other!
The team sheltered for a while under some streets as it started to rain heavily and indeed it rained on and off for the whole time we were delivering.
I also discovered that two members of the team once went to the same school and lived in the same street in Luton and not spoken to each in over twenty years.
After delivering to a couple of other streets there was a few to deliver in a close which I offered to do and gave a pile of leaflets to the rest of the team for the next couple of streets, I said I would catch up with them once I had finished there.
I did come across one member of the team and so we went together to leaflet another close, a young lad dressed in a suit and using his clip board as an umbrella said there are two guys looking for someone and wondered if it was for me, he then asked if I was knocking on doors selling something I said no I was leafleting for the Labour Party, he replied Fucking hell you probably upset the people I am about to knock on the doors of, I replied that there was no need to react like that and he asked my colleague about who he had spoken to on the doorsteps he clearly did not listen to what I had said to him.
We eventually caught up with other and walked back to the car park in the rain, Andrew told us that David Cameron (leader of the Conservative Party) would have arrived by now at the Milton Keynes Academy and how ironic the rain had started and how the sun shines on Labour.
We all said our good byes and I drove off to go to the Centre MK to go shopping and meet with my friend Paula Lewis.

Visit by John Healy MP Housing Minister on Netherfield

Two days ago I had a telephone call from Veronica Belcher asking to book the Woughton Community Council Meeting Room, I accidently picked up the Ambassador's appointment Diary and said it would be ok, thank god I checked the label in the front of the Diary to realise it was not the Meeting Room Diary, the Meeting Diary itself indicated that the Meeting Room was fully booked for the day she wanted (Thursday 25th March 2010).
I rang Veronica back to apologise as it would have been embarrasing to have double booked for a Question and Answer session with local residents and the Housing Minister John Healy MP.
I made a few other suggestions for other meeting venues, Cllr Kevin Wilson rang me an hour later to ask if I could book either the Netherfield or Coffee Hall Meeting Room, I decided on the Netherfield Meeting Place and emailed over the booking form to Veronica after I had got in contact with Milton Keynes Council.
On the day itself I got a lift from Cllr Janet Richardson and her partner and Linda Carter Chief Executive Officer of Woughton Community Council came along too, once I arrived at the Netherfield Meeting Place I offered to go around and ask guests if they wanted tea or coffee, and put plates of biscuits on each table and glasses of water on the top table, I spoke to a couple of young lads who are volunteers in Phyllis Starkey MP's office.
Cllr Kevin Wilson was filling in as we were waiting for Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and the minister he even resorted to doing a quiz on the history of Netherfield.
When they both arrived John Healy MP announced that he had launched today the second round bid for Council's to build Council houses and reform to the Housing Revenue Account (HRA), there then followed a lively question and answer session and as is happens at these events stories of personal housing problems which were heart breaking to hear.
Afterwards I asked Dr Phyllis Starkey MP and John Healy MP for a photograph which took place outside the Meeting Place.
I then walked back to the office in the rain with Cllr Janet Richardson who nearly tripped walking in high heels on a steep pathway and she clung on to me for dear life!

Leafleting at West Bletchley

Got up to a lovely sunny day what a difference from yesterday, as I was driving and about to go through Central Milton Keynes there was a road sign saying the road ahead was closed due to Sports Relief, which was very inconvient, and had to circumvent the shopping centre.

Got to the Barleyhurst estate and leafleted for the first time in living memory with out a coat and worked up quite a sweat, once I finished there I progressed on to the scots estate, in one court I was given a cheery hello from a very good looking girl which perked me up and she happily took my leaflet, in another close instead of the Sunday morning car wash a couple were on a step ladder washing their Caravan! and there was a little girl wrestling with a big broom and was trying to sweep some stones away in her driveway and then sweeping the road bless her.

I had forgotton to bring a sandwich with me and a drink so I walked through an underpass to the Furzton Shopping Centre to buy a sandwich and a coke I felt very light headed and thought I was going to pass out, got to the Londis store but was soaked through, once I left the store I could not find a seat and so ended up leaning on a lamp post back on a street in Bletchley eating my Chicken sandwich and swigging from my coke bottle getting funny looks from people walking by with their dogs.

All in all I did a good days leafleting for a total of four hours and got back to my car exhausted and drove home and managed to be able to drive through Central Milton Keynes this time.

Leafleting on Heelands

Saturday 20th March 2010 - got up later than I wanted and drove to the local centre to get my cornish pasty (my Saturday treat) from Dutsons Bakery, eat it in my car and drove in time to the Suffolk Punch car park to meet up with Andrew Pakes and team Labour, if I was more organised I would of walked from my house never mind.

Team Labour consisted of Andrew Pakes, Rob Middleton, another Rob who is a Councillor from Southwark, we were waiting for yet another Rob a young guy from Willen, who duly turned up in the drizzle which stopped and kept coming back during our time delivering the direct mails.

We decided to split in to a couple of teams and I was paired with Rob from Willen, Andrew informed us before we went that we were delivering direct mails to those who support Labour but never get round to voting!

Chatting to Rob it would appear he is an auditor and travels to Luton and Hemel Hempstead and has just got engaged and bought a new house in Willen through the Labour Governments home ownership scheme a nice lad by oh I feel so old.

After a couple of hours and getting soggy we met up back at the car park, the team decided to go for a drink at the pub but I declined as had to go shopping and get ready to attend the Diversity Ball.

Milton Keynes Labour Party Executive Committee Meeting

Thursday 18th March 2010 - Left the Environment Committee meeting held at the Woughton Community Council office which I was clerking and felt quite tired with a headache and toothache driving in light drizzle to the Labour Hall at New Bradwell to attend the Executive Committee meeting.

It was very well attended and a tight squeeze around the table we covered general election organisation and finances and the local elections including the by election in Stony Stratford.

Discussion also centred on the General Election launch rally including the venue and guest speaker.

A lively meeting good debate in a good atmosphere.

Leafleting on Whaddon Way and Buckingham Road Bletchley

Saturday 13th March 2010 - A lovely sunny day and wearing in my new shoes felt like I was driving a new car in them and was uneasy breaking as it felt so different, I should of worn my trainers as at the end of the session my feet were killing me and develop blisters.
Parked the car at the back of the West Bletchley Town Council offices, the shopping precint seemed to be ungoing a refurbishment with scaffolding and netting everywhere.
A lady at one of the properties I was leafleting said I made her jump as she opened the door to the side of her house I apologised and we had a good laugh about it.
One guy as I was putting a leaflet through his door was walking up the pathway coming back from shopping was talking to me in such a mumble I could not understand what he was saying to me, I just smiled and laughed but he could of being having a go at me but I will never know.
As I was progressing down Whaddon Way an attractive lady was walking her small black dog which in a friendly way jumped up on me for which she told her dog off but I just smiled back at her.
Another couple were laying down concrete for their front pathway, and a couple of other properties were having extensive building work undertaken.
One house had decorated their green wheelie bin with a picture of Scooby Doo which had the same words on them and lots of pictures of cartoon bones all over the bin which I quite liked.
I noticed as I finished leafleting Whaddon Way that a former pub on the corner with Shenley Road had been badly burned down and had hoardings all around it, but what amazed me was a chimney stack still standing among the ruin.
On the Buckingham Road at one of the bus stops was a lady talking aloud to herself, the properties there had quite extensive frontages which took a lot out of me walking up and down them and I broke in to a sweat.
One of the properties I leafleted lived a family my mother had child minded for.
Both streets had some really nice properties on them and a couple were on really big grounds all the times I had driven down these streets over the years by walking them I took a lot more in.
All in all a good mornings work and no mishaps.

Milton Keynes and District Co-Op Party Branch Meeting

I attended on Tuesday 9th March 2010 at 7:30pm, my first meeting of the newly formed Milton Keynes and District Co-Op Party Branch, held at Fulwell Court, St.Legers Drive, Great Linford.
George Conghie, Nigel Long, Pete Marland and his partner Ellie and a chap who is the Manager of the Co-Op store on Fishermead and another chap whose name I did not know were in attendance.
The main topic of conversation was support for the Labour candidates in the General and local Council elections.
A verbal report was given on the regional meeting at Slough Town Hall which concentrated on procedural matters, the local Labour MP Fiona McTaggart made a speech and Officers were also elected, also Trade Unionists and Labour Party members were also in attendance.
There then followed a good natured debate on the motions to be taken forward to the party conference which were as follows:

• To encourage all sponsored Labour Party candidates to include on all publicity materials the fact that they are Labour and Co-operative candidates
• To also encourage more co-operatives to be set up in the social care sector

The one other motion that was not pursued as it was too general and did not link in with the Co-operative movement activities was to condemn rogue traders who rip off the consumer.

The meeting finished at 9:00pm and the lovely Mrs Billups came in to lock up after us.

My Letter To The Milton Keynes Citizen

Dear Editor,
Conservative-controlled Aylesbury Vale District Council spell out in their own policy document why they are proposing extra housing around Aylesbury and at Salden Chase. AVDC state there is already a severe problem in their area with the lack of affordability of housing and average house prices at nine times the average income, that 20% of their population is under 16 and that population's numbers are increasing at more than twice the rate of the rest of Bucks.
It is misleading of local Conservative politicians in Milton Keynes to pretend the need for this extra housing would go away if there was a change in government.
Tory plans to give local councils autonomy in where they build the new housing they need would actually mean that AVDC could double the size of Salden Chase and the residents of West Bletchley and their councillors would have no power to stop them.
Yours etc

Leafleting In Bradwell Village

On Friday 5th March 2010 I drove to the Labour Hall to collect the old minute books, and met for the first time Claire who works for Dr Phyllis Starkey MP in the office, we had spoken so many times on the telephone so it was nice to put a name to a face, we had a long chat and left to meet a friend to have breakfast with at a Cafe in the Wolverton Agora.

Later in the day I recieved a text from Andrew Pakes that he would be leafleting in Bradwell Village at 2:00pm.

I arrived in plenty of time and he turned up with Pete Marland, in one close there was a lady wearling curlers in her hair saying she would not be voting for any one Andrew pointed out to her that if the Tories get in she could lose her Winter Fuel Allowance, which was backed up by her daughter.

When walking in the heart of the village I was chatting away to Andrew and Pete when I heard a womans voice that said "I reconise that voice" it was my former middle school Headteacher Pauline Irons she was lugging a couple of sacks and was just going to the allotments, I just hope that if I reach her age I am so active as I bet she walked all the way from Bradville where she lives.

It was a trip down memory lane for me as I represented the area on Milton Keynes Council and remembered the various characters that lived there and who attended my surgeries sadly some are no longer with us such as Alderman Ray Bellchambers.

When we had finished Andrew gave me some leaflets to do next weekend for Heelands, my foot is beginning to trouble me again which I will need to watch I thought was no longer going to be an issue for me after losing two (2) stone in weight, mind you I have put more on though lately I think.

Once I got home I noticed I really need a new pair of shoes as the inside soles have crumbled away, the General Election has not even started offically and I am wearing away shoe leather.

I looked through the bag of minute books and what a treasure trove after the General Election I plan to read each page as I've only had a chance to skim through them and they were facisnating, a real history of comrades passed and some are still active in the Party, here is what the minute books covered:

• General Committee 1966 - 1980
• Executive Committee 1960 - 1962
• Executive Committee 1962
• Executive Committee 1972-1977
• Wolverton Branch 1917-1924
• Bradwell Branch 1917 - 1924
• Bletchley Branch 1944 - 1948
• Wolverton Young Socialists 1960 - 1968

I have bought some box files to put them in so that they will lovingly be looked after.

Also today I went To Brantano's at Central Milton Keynes to buy some new shoes ready for action next week.

Milton Keynes Labour Party General Committee Meeting

As I was getting ready to go to my meeting I heard something coming through my letterbox, I thought it must be a copy of the Citizen Newspaper, when I got to the hallway it was in a fact a leaflet from Mark Lancaster MP (Conservative), what was strange about this was it was 7:00pm and dark outside I looked through the kitchen window and could not see anyone in the close, I was becoming paranoid, was this put through my door by a neighbour who thought I would be interested in seeing this as surely the local tories database would indicate I was not a supporter? or as a way of making me think they were starting to work the estate knowing I would let my party know all very strange, or maybe in the end it was a leafleter running behind their schedule.

Arrived early to the General Committee slightly early as I had the projector with me, but did not think to bring with me an extension lead but the problem was solved as Pauline Wallis went home to get one, as lucklily she lived across the road from the meeting place.

Andrew Pakes made a good speech and mentioned about the Tory donations pouring in to the constituency and the excellent help from the co-op and the steelworkers union who have been phoning voters in support of John Goss and Pauline Wallis.

He finished just in time as Phyllis Starkey walked through the door she apologised for being late as she went home to having something to eat to keep herself going, as she had got back from Westminster voting on the reform of the House Of Commons David Cameron had tabled an amendment on which she was going through the lobby to vote on and behind her was a Liberal Democrat MP she said I never thought I would be in the lobby with Tories and the Liberal Democrat MP said ah it is because they cannot stand Cameron very funny!

She talked about the upcoming election campaign and how we had a good story to tell and to keep repeating the election themes on the doorstep and to be more bullish from now on, she also said that Kevin is a very good organiser and how she never wanted him to tell her how the campaign is going on she she could campaign in a postive and upbeat manner, Kevin told a funny story about how Phyllis had rang him at the last general election to say she needed to rest as she was so exhausted but he said you are 50 votes behind and you need to keep going so she said ok then a good way to motiavate your tired candidate, She also said that near to the bus stop she uses in London is a billboard poster with a picture of a family which said I have never voted Tory before but due to their family friendly policies I will be voting Tory, when she got to Parliament she asked a colleague what are the Tories family policies and he or she said a £5 tax break! very powerful example as what about the widows and single parents, all in all a very rousing and inspiring contribution.

Then Kevin made his power point presentation for the Milton Keynes South campaign full of interesting facts and figures and showed the work to be done, this followed Pete Marland's power point presentation for Milton Keynes North another interesting load of facts figures and election themes.

I think in all my times of going to General Committee meetings I have never witnessed a professional powerpoint presentation.

All in all a very good meeting and very well attended

Leafleting In West Bletchley - Day 4

I now had two roads left to leaflet today and so was feeling quite elated that I would finish the delivery round and have an empty box now in the back of my car, the weather was full of bright sunshine but was so cold as well.
Again the morning was uneventful, I felt for two men in a Milton Keynes Council van struggling with two heavy kerbstones which they throw to the ground not sure why though.
On the next street I had to dodge a workman mixing in cement in a large bucket right on the middle of the pavement as some lucky householder was having a new front and back doors installed.
As I was driving home my mobile rang and I ignored it I saw that Kevin had rang when I got indoors and so rang him back, was I going to the Party meeting tonight he said and if so could I bring the projector with me from the office.
Later on in the afternoon I recieved a nice call from Veronica saying that Pat Mortimer (former Borough Councillor for Stony Stratford) had brought in to the Labour Hall a plastic bag full of old branch minutes and would I like to keep them (Pat's wife Beryl was planning to write a history of the Milton Keynes Labour Party and I even gave her my box files but she never got round to it) I said as I was going to Wolverton tommorrow morning and I would collect them on my way through New Bradwell.
Now off to the City Party General Committee meeting.

Leafleting in West Bletchley - Day 3

My start to the day driving to West Bletchley nearly went so badly, I got out of Heelands on to the V7 Saxon Street dog tired and really not paying much attention I did notice a large stationary works truck blocking the other carriageway, and I did think I must be careful of cars that would overtake it from the roundabout, and did also notice the traffic works sign, but not a workman holding a sign which he changed to STOP he was vigourously pointing to it and I braked hard but not that hard the car behind me also must of been paying the same amount of attention as me as I heard a screeching of tyres and luckily stopped in time, I looked in my rear view mirror thinking I might be given some hand gesture's but instead thought I saw the driver taking his seat belt off ready to get out of his car and give me some abuse, and I quickly locked my passenger door but fortunetly he did not do so.
I got to West Bletchley and parked up and started leafleting, which was fairly uneventful until I got outside one house where this very messy guy in tracksuit bottoms which were covered in paint wondered if I had a leaflet for him, which I did not, I said oh we must of spoken to you in the past and should of left it at that but added i'm leafleting on behalf of the Labour Party and he screwed up his face and went uh as if to say thank god I am not missing out on anything then, which brought a chuckle to my face.
With that I finished and went back to my car only two streets left to do.
When I got home I turned my radio on where the Radio Four news announced the death of the former Labour Party Leader Michael Foot MP at the age of 96 R.I.P, this is the second death of a good comrade in two days no more please!
At 5:00pm I drove to the Jury's Inn at Central Milton Keynes to meet my good friend Paula Lewis, where bless her she promised to help me with leafleting which I will take her up on nice to have a glamous assistant rather than being on my own.

Leafleting in West Bletchley Day 2

Today I was continuing to leaflet the Scots Estate on another sunny day it was lovely, it was so quiet with hardly a soul around, I did know that Bletchley could be so lovely as I suppose I have mainly been to the Central Bletchley area.

I had a couple of challenges today finding a couple of the streets as they were behind other closes accessiable from public footpaths only, thankfully I spied the street signs in the alley ways.

I did a double take in one of the closes as there was a good looking woman standing in a dressing gown smoking a cigarette in her front garden at lunchtime!

The next close I managed to slip on some mud and nearly fell but luckily I managed to steady myself but my chest hurt from the shock.

One house stands out in my mind as this guy was working on a number of very nice motorbikes all in his front garden hardstanding.

All in all a good days leafleting in a lovely quiet area with the sun shining would more could I ask for and it was nice to see the piles of direct mails going down too bonus!

Leafleting In West Bletchley - Day 1

I overslept as I was up late setting up a Facebook page and Twitter account for the Milton Keynes Labour Party and missed a call from Kevin.

I rang him back and he said they were putting the finishing touches to the direct mail for postal votes and could I collect them at the Labour Hall so I drove up to New Bradwell.

I had also rang Nigel as I promised to leaflet for Gladstone's campaign and could I collect them from him at 2:00pm at his house, which was no problem.

I went upstairs to the office where Colin Lund was using the Risco machine which was pretty nifty putting the leaflets in to envelopes Kevin was putting elastic bands around them and making piles up of streets for me (although as I was to discover afterwards that they were a bit mixed up which caused me to double back on some streets later on).

Kevin put the direct mails in a box for me and lugged it down the stairs where I took them from him.

As I put the box in my car Veronica popped out from her office and we chatted away talking about the amount of leafleting to do and her canvassing on Sunday's and how she loathed the differcult members of the public she came across especially as she has to deal with them all week as well (which I sympasied with her) as she also said she remembered the person that said you must be joking rather then remembering those who said they would be voting Labour, I then needed to use the loo and was introduced to a member of staff working in Phyllis's office on the way out I also gave Veronica a leaflet I had recently recieved through my door from the Liberal Democrats which she put in a tray with other opposition parties leaflets, I was shown one produced by Cllr Tony Mabbott now a member of the Green Party.

I then drove to West Bletchley and started to deliever on the Scots Estate, I noticed in a couple of closes of workmen working on extensions and on another close avoiding some else who was delivering magazines I bet we were popular with those residents!

I noticed there were a few properties that had dogs but managed to put the letters through the door without losing my fingers!

The weather was so sunny I did not have to wear a coat what joy, there were a few learner drivers trying to do reverse parking how I am glad I have gone through all that as my lessons were also in Bletchley but mostly on the Trees estate, I do remember residents kicking up a fuss
about us learners doing emergency stops etc in their streets which is fair enough.

I was also on the Barleyhurst estate and leafleted George Conghie's house which I remember going to many times as a Councillor.

It was sad to witness in one close of two Bailiff's taking away two cars on a battered pick up lorry and having problems with starting one of them as they were quite old, one had a clipboard looking over the car while another one was checking out details of the owner on his mobile phone the house itself looked down at heel as well my heart went out to that household and what they must be going through a sign of the times I guess.

I finished with twenty minutes to spare to get to Nigel's house.

Once I got there he had a box ready for me and was in a rush he had direct mail letters and a leaflet regarding a proposed development on the edge of Bletchley called Salden Chase.

He was surprised that I was leafleting in the Scots estate as he was going to deliver there in the evning with his wife Sue, so we will be popular with those residents having a double whammy of leaflets in one day.

I explained Kevin had given them to me and Nigel said he was impressed with his effciency.

I took them to my car which I had parked in the Three Trees pub Car Park and drove home to Heelands exhausted.

Once I got home I picked up my post which had a Labour Today Summer 2010 glossy colour magazine explaining the different party polices on various subjects along with opposing tory and lib dem policies, and had pieces on the election team and online campaign techniques, which included for a donation, a chance to put your own story on how a Labour Government has improved your life on a range of subjects, which would be put on a postcard you can design from different templates, and mailed out to marginal seats which they promised a copy to be sent out to you, think I will do that when I get a chance.

There was also a Vote Labour poster which they said to put in your window as soon as the General Election is called and if you update your Members Net with a mobile phone number and email address by 15th March 2010 you will recieved notification when the General Election has been called and wait for it a free enamal "A Future Fair For All" badge!

I came across a sad piece of news when I opened up my emails that Cllr George Byfield had died he served on Great Linford Parish Council and was a former Lambeth Borough Councillor, Chair of Conniburrow Residents Association and recieved a couple of years ago the OBE which he showed me a photograph of him at Buckingham Palace with his family, his wife died a couple of years beforehand.

He told me he never knew who nominated him but thought Brian White may have done (which he had always denied), he once said to me I was a good Councillor who unlike others did not have a big ego.

Rest in peace George Byfield my friend.