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.