Alison Halford, Councillor

I was invited to the Hawarden High School service of Remembrance last Friday, the 11th day of the 11th Month of the 11th year. The event was a deeply moving and poignant occasion. Historic clips of Neville Chamberlains sad pronouncement that we are now at war with Germany, followed by the famous rousing Churchill speech “we will fight them on the beaches and never surrender”set the scene. Then with readings and music interspersed, more clips of life in the trenches, the mud , the battles, the animals struggling to pull huge artillery and all the horrors that came with all wars. The statistics of the dead, the casualties and how many had been affected were staggering and the saddest moment must have been when the list of those who were pupils who had paid that ultimate sacrifice were read out solemnly by serving pupils. The very last name, James Smart stood out on its own. He was the most recent departed boy who had very recently lost his life whilst serving in the RAF. His mother was in the audience as she was a few days later when we paid our respects at the Hawarden War Memorial. Sunday 13th, threatened …..

The insatiable desire of our top Oligarchy to control everything appears to roll on relentlessly. Of course, the Executive could have said no but they seemed collectively minded not to do so. Reel back to the 15th November Executive meeting that started at the usual time of 9.30am. (Its very clear by now that Leader has no intention of shelling out the same to Capricorn Animal Rescue that I shelled out in bacon butties. Readers will recall they were a well deserved snack because of the clumsiness by the Executive in causing Planning Committee members great inconvenience back in September. The kennels are in his ward, for heaven’s sake) I digress. After the Executive’s regular meeting, the final version of the Choices document that sets out the proposed terms that tenants can expect should they decide to ballot to leave council property in favour a social landlord was discussed. No big deal you say but: the Housing Project Board has been meeting for almost two years, diligently chaired by Cllr Carolyn Cattermoul who even attended in a wheel chair when she badly broke an ankle in the summer. As a member, I too made these meetings a priority as its …..