Cleaning up the streets

Good old Lichfield District Council have prosecuted a woman for dropping litter. One of my pet hates so I'm more than pleased to see them getting tough.

Whether or not it's the most pressing concern the city has is debatable, but from small acorns large oaks grow.

I do wonder whether their anti-litter stance fits around their bin collection scheme though. After all we have green bins with no lids when it comes to recycling. This means that if you leave your green boxes out on a windy night you can play a game of 'guess whose rubbish?' as the plastic bottles and paper blows around the street.

Perhaps some consistency of thought my be in order?

Grief and anger could do more harm than good

It's understandable that the case of Mick Eccles' death has caused so much pain and anguish.

And it's understandable that the anger will boil over and that people want to have their say.

But the comments by some on Facebook could be counterproductive.

By naming the 15-year-old accused on the social networking sites, those who are demanding justice could put the entire process in jeopardy.

He can't be named for valid reasons under British law and until the court of this land has convicted him he is still innocent. Yes, people may have concrete knowledge of the situation and know the inside track on the whole sorry incident. But if it such a cut and dry case then justice will prevail and those behind the attacks will suffer the burden - physically and mentally - of what they have done for the rest of their lives.

We're lucky to live in a society where mob rule isn't the norm. To put the case in jeopardy because of a loose tongue would be scandalous.

Let the justice system operate. If we're not happy with it afterwards, that is the time to speak out, not before.

Two charged with Michael Eccles killing

Various reports this morning are doing the rounds after a boy of 15 and a man aged 20 were charged over Michael Eccles' death.

The justice system will now swing into action, but no outcome in court will ever compensate the family for their tragic loss. Nor will Mr Eccles' daughter ever remove the mental scars of what she saw on that fateful day.

Hopefully as the dust settles in the immediate aftermath of this case, questions will be asked by the authorities in Lichfield.

Why has this problem of 'Shameless' youths been allowed to fester and reach such a tragic crescendo? What steps are they taking to ensure this problem is finally addressed?

Staffordshire Police - it's over to you.

The Dimbles puts Lichfield on the map for all the wrong reasons

Shocking news has emerged in the last 24 hours of the death of Mick Eccles.



Early reports suggested he had become involved in an argument with a gang of youths after leaving the shops at the Dimbles. It was only as the story developed that we have discovered he was kicked to death in front of his daughter.

This incident has brought the horror of feral youngsters on Britain's housing estates into a very local focus. You read about this sort of thing more and more, but it somehow becomes more real when you see it happening on your doorstep.

But when you examine the evidence it was hardly surprising that this sort of thing would happen. The real sadness of it all is that it took the death of a 43-year-old man to make Lichfield stand up and take notice of its problems - particularly on the Dimbles.

The nearby doctor's surgery, the shops (and even the Tesco a little further away) are all gathering points for gangs. They provoke people who work in the area and those just visiting the shops.

Just a day before, a relative in the area had seen youngsters with a baseball bat and a golf ball smashing glasses up on their garden, with one glass being thrown at them while they carried a baby. When confronted, they just carried on without any regard for the safety of others.

If you've ever been down to the shops at the Dimbles then chances are you'll have seen a police car there. So why, if the police seem to spend an above average amount of time in the area, has the problem continued to exist? Why are the same thugs allowed to terrorise a community week after week, month after month and year after year?

And most importantly, how many people will have to meet the same fate as Mr Eccles before something effective is done about it?

The National Memorial Arboretum

For anyone visiting Lichfield it's easy to overlook the National Memorial Arboretum down at Alrewas.

Visitors usually get drawn in by the cathedral or the links to Samuel Johnson, but the Arboretum is well worth making the trip to.

I'm amazed how few locals have actually paid a visit to place which is stunning and moving in equal measure.

This YouTube video gives a flavour of what the place is about, but to truly understand the place and the way in which it commemorates so many of our fallen military personnel you simply have to visit.

Bye, bye Tesco

Heading through Lichfield at the weekend, I noticed the bulldozers are making swift work of the Tesco store.

What you can't see though is what the future holds for the site.

Yes, there'll be a lovely new superstore, but the need for improvements around the area is huge.

Even on a quiet day without the store and only Aldi and the Tesco petrol station remaining, traffic was snarled up. Add to that the volume of interest there will be in the new superstore and you may well need to book a week off work to drive into Lichfield from Trent Valley come Autumn.

The signs near Tesco indicate junction improvements are taking place, but with a churchyard on one side and Aldi on the other, it's hard to see where any realistic and useful changes can be made.

There's no doubting that the city will welcome a large new superstore, but if you can't get into it because of traffic then what will the real benefits be?

On or off the buses

The Mercury have given us the latest take on the seemingly endless tale of the Lichfield to Walsall bus service.
First Travel West Midlands dropped the baton and now A2Z Travel have pulled out. The latest development is that Arriva will step into the breach (partially at least!). But for how long? If two companies have failed to make a go of it then surely this might indicate that a service isn't viable?

The footnote to Arriva's arrival on the scene is that it's a partnership with Staffordshire County Council. The word partnership is an interesting one. For Staffordshire County Council to be a partner, they must be bringing something to the link-up. I'm certainly not suggesting there's a subsidy or the like, but if there were it would be a downright disgrace.

I don't object to subsidised services to villages where residents may often rely on such a service and have no other transport links, but the Lichfield to Walsall route is certainly not that. It is a dying route - something proved by the failure of two successful businesses to make it work.

All good things must come to an end - and the 991 service is no different.

Are we learning anything new about Lichfield schools?

The league tables for our schools are out.

According to the report from the Lichfield Mercury published online, King Edward VI School saw 65 per cent of students get five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.

The Friary chalked up 58 per cent, while Nether Stowe propped up the Lichfield table with 48 per cent.

But are these tables teaching us anything we didn't know? Everyone in Lichfield knows what the reputation (often deserved) of the three schools is like. Yes, it's probably useful for those moving to the area to see, but such a data collection exercise is costly to meet the needs of a few.

And then there's the ethical question of whether a school like Nether Stowe can really climb the rankings if it's constantly having the boot put in publicly. If the tables are actually a factor in parents sending their child to a certain school (and I'm not sure that they, on their own merits are), then does parents of clever kids sending them to King Eddies because it's the best performing really benefit the lower performing schools?

Surely schools should be aiming to bring children up to a level rather than lowering them down?

If anything, league tables should analyse how well schools in a geographic region do. That way the emphasis would be on all of Lichfield's schools to work together and use best practice in order to provide the best quality education possible, rather than aiming for top spot at the expense of those not fortunate enough for geographic or educational reasons.

Parent and toddler parking space means just that

A handful of posts in and already I'm developing a thing about parking.

This time it's parent and toddler spaces. What exactly is the point of such spaces if they're not enforced?

A visit to any of Lichfield's main supermarkets - Morrisons, Co-op and, before the closure, Tesco - inevitably means a scramble for these 'premium' spaces.

There's a myth amongst drivers that they're unnecessary. After all, why do parents need extra wide spaces? Well, if you've ever tried squeezing a car seat complete with baby out of a half-foot gap then you'll understand why.

But why do those in Lichfield find the need to ignore the big signs indicating that these spaces are there for just that reason? They wouldn't park in a disabled bay, so why park in a family space?

It's become something of a mini-campaign of mine. If ever I see a family-less driver in one of the spaces I tend to make a point of asking them whether they should be driving with eyesight so bad that they can't see the sign.

If you've been berated by such a person, then there's a very good chance it was me.

But it shouldn't be down to the 'little guy' to enforce parking. Tesco were one of the worst culprits. Quite happy to scour the car park looking for people who have stayed longer than the permitted three hours, but not prepared to take action against those who park in bays they are not entitled to. So their signage claims that the three-hour limit was to preserve spaces for customers was clearly more to do with trying to slap a ticket/clamp on a car and raise revenue. After all, if it was about customers then they'd at least try to keep spaces free for families using their store.

But the other stores who don't patrol have a duty to do so. At a time when they're asking us to pay more and more for our weekly shop (with families spending more than most), is it too much to ask for the stores to provide adequate and enforced parking facilities?

Policing by numbers

If you want to know the time, ask a policeman. If, however, you want to know the figures for violent crime, best not ask Staffordshire Police.

Staffordshire have been included in a list released by the Home Office of forces who have 'undercounted' their figures for violent crime.

According to the BBC, they have been "downgrading crimes where there was an intention to cause serious injury but no such injury resulted".

So that's alright then. As long as you manage to avoid the person's punch or stab attempt you haven't been a victim of violent crime.

As Nick Ross would have said: "Please, don't have nightmares."

Pay and dismay

As if it wasn't bad enough that Lichfield's parking charges have become nothing short of farcical, the closure of Tesco has added to the woe.

The loss of the hundreds of spaces which, rightly or wrongly, were used by many to pop into the city centre has made an already bad situation far, far worse.

The chain of decisions surrounding car parking leaves a lot to be desired. At a time when Lichfield is joining many other commercial centres in losing key shopfronts such as Woolworths, that the decision-makers do their utmost to drive shoppers away from their key areas to out-of-town sites where parking is free.

Firstly, the decision was taken to hike parking prices and install machines which I, and many others I've spoken to, have put money into only to see no ticket delivered. There's even one car park (the lower level of the one opposite Poundland) which charges more on a Saturday than it does during the week! How is this meant to attract greater footfall into area in desperate need of an increased audience? No, I don't know either.

So with Tesco closing until the Autumn meaning less available spaces and those that are left coming at a premium, is it any wonder why casual shoppers are thinking that Lichfield just isn't worth it?

Welcome, one and all

Wondering where you are and how you got here? Well this is The Lichfield Blog - home to all that is Lichfield and plenty that is not.

Here you'll find a variety of news, features and opinion (plenty of that) on everything that's going on in the Cathedral city.

So why am I in a position to comment? Well I'm not, but I'm about the only person to have bothered to put together a platform on which to have their say. So imagine this as a virtual soapbox on which I'm standing.

I'm not a Lichfield lad, nor do I pretend to be. I have however had the fortune - or misfortune, depending on how you look at it - of living there for the past five or so years. In that time I've been intrigued by the mix of people and the strange village mentality of the city.

So take a look around, discuss, debate and submit if you feel the need. And if you don't like it, well that's for you to decide.

For now...