ASK the time

Did you notice the clock above ASK on the Old Fire Station has not worked since before the work was done? You may have also seen the LB News article indicating that nothing has been done about it.

Well the good news it has not been forgotten and should be up and running in a few weeks. I have today been speaking to the officer at the District and there is a lot more too it than just being a clock.

It has been fitted with a lot of electronics that adjust automatically when the clocks go back and forward and also keep the time during power cuts. However, when the work was done to the building, it was turned off for so long, the battery went dead. When it was turned back on at the wrong time, the battery charged up and so by the time the District was notified, turning the clock off would and back on when the time changed to where the hands were would not work as it would know how long it had been off for and simply adjust itself! It needs a clock maintenance company to come out to it.

Due to the location, this involves specialist equipment so after much negotiation between ASK and SBDC, the clock will be inspected in a week or so and will hopefully be fixed 2 weeks after that.

If you do see problems like this, please TELL US ABOUT IT, too often people get upset or the news papers print a story but no one has ever actually told us there is a problem. The Town Council can be contacted on 01525 631 920 and the District on 01582 47 22 22. You can also pop along to Citizone on West Street for any Town, District or County Council related issues.

Flashing Blue Lights

I spent today with the firemen based at the Leighton Buzzard Fire Station on Lake Street, not just seeing what they do but actually doing some of it myself.

Steven Allen, the Station Commander and the rest of the watch made me very welcome and went through a lot of the training that a member of the service goes through.

It was all very hard work and makes you relaise just how important the fire and rescue service is.

FASNET 2008

In January I visited our Twin Town again for "Fasnet", their Carnival week. It is a tradition going back hundreds of years and very different to our own carnival. The Mayor hands over the key to the town in a ceremony to mark the start of the "5th season" and then "the fools" who are the Carnival groups run the town. (yes we can all see the obvious joke here).

It is a real honour to be able to participate in the festivities, and ex-councillor and Twinning Chair Chris Hinchcliff and his wife were invited to participate representing our Towns and have had their own hand made wooden carnival masks. (below)



Even I got to dress up following the theme and walked around the town as a clown, performing as part of a musicl group in restaurants and bars. Apart from the big processions through the towns, there are also un planned visits by groups like ours that would go in to public place, perform and interact with the drinkers or diners etc and then leave to go to the next place as you can see from some of these groups that popped in to visit us during dinner. The man on the right is Dr Kropp, our host in Titisee-Nuesdadt

A swimming start to 2008

Welcome to my 2008 roundup. At the end of January, I only have 3 and a bit months of my Mayoral year left. 9 months has just flown by.

I attended the Leighton Buzzard Swimming Club awards presentation night on the 4th. I really like events like that as people work very hard not just swimming but in supporting the club and it is great for me to be able to show some appreciation for all the people that make Leighton Buzzard a nice place to be with lots to do.

Keeping to a sports them, I have also handed out grant cheques to sports men and women who applied through the sports council. If you have an interest in any sports please get in touch as we have probably have a group or club just right for you.

Finally on the 27th I attended the Holocausts Memorial Day service at Luton Town hall. People representing many faiths were present and it was a very moving service. There was also a chance to network with faith leaders and gain a better understanding of what they were trying to achieve locally.

Afterwards we were heckled by a group outside who thought we were only there because of the 2nd World War Holocaust but of course we were there for all Holocausts that have happened since and may still continue. I felt they did their cause no good by suggesting we were supporting a Holocaust in Palestine. It was a shame that they did not think to ask first about the event but these things do happen.