On the move

Hi all,

Just a quick note to say that the Lichfield Blog is moving to a new home at http://thelichfieldblog.wordpress.com.

The move's designed to give us a bit more flexibility and may be the start of some pretty exciting times for the site - keep 'em peeled!

See you there!

Come on in, mind the step

Just a quick note to let you know that I won't be adopting some strange cyber ventriloquism act over the coming weeks, but that a few new faces will be joining to The Lichfield Blog's ranks over the coming days.

I figured that I offer only one opinion on Lichfield (even if it is the right one), so it's time to open up the floor to other great Cathedral City chaps and chapesses to offer up their views.

I'm sure they'll introduce themselves as they come on board, so please be nice to them (and me!).

Cheers!

(if anyone fancies joining the merry band, visit my Twitter page)

It's a crying shame

Here's a new job that might be right up your street - Lichfield needs a new town crier.

Now I'm not too sure what the qualifications are, but this is one tradition which I'm all for keeping (unlike the Bower Queen).

If Lichfield fancies itself as a historic city then a town crier is a must.

But just who could we get to ring the bell and call us all to order?

Bower Queen is nothing more than a modern day freakshow

It's my favourite time of the year - the search for a Bower Queen is underway.

Of course, I'm not interested in who actually wins, nor am I running for it myself (although I'd fancy my chances all told!).

No, I'm more interested in the voyeuristic nature of the contest, the snapshot into the lives of deluded young girls and the pushy parents sitting behind them who fuel this desire for 'stardom'.

But what are the real benefits of being Bower Queen? To be recognised as Lichfield's premier young woman and the glory that goes with it (for glory see page 17 editorial complete with fuzzy photo in the Mercury)? Or is the desire to be ridiculed by your peers and have half the population of Lichfield chuckling at you? After all we are a nation who love to laugh at those glorious failures who haven't a hope in hell of achieving their dream. And for Lichfield, the Bower Queen battle is like the great early bits of X-Factor watching the talentless crash and burn.

As if the Bower itself wasn't an outdated, cringe-worthy embarassment, the Bower Queen is the icing on a stale cake. In the same way you laugh at those all-American youngsters with their glitzy outfits aiming to be beauty queen in Winkelstinkeltown, U S of A, so Lichfield applauds this modern day circus sideshow by allowing it to happen.

Isn't it about time Lichfield let Bower Day and the Bower Queen die a painless death instead of dragging it into public view every year for us all to point and laugh at?

When will churches join the real world?

Over time on this blog, you'll probably realise that I'm a bit baffled by many things. It's fair to say that religion is one of these.

So it's with no surprise that I read in the Birmingham Mail comments from a religious man which have no relevance to the real world.

The story regards talks by the Diocese of Lichfield on plans by the Church of England to standardise fees for services across the country. At present the initial service fees are standard, but at a regional level, churches are able to add extra fees for things like bell ringers, flowers and heating etc.

The quote from the Archdeacon of Salop, the Venerable John Hall said:

“I question the sanity of wanting to take over from parishes something which they have dealt with adequately for centuries.”

I'm sorry Mr Hall, but that isn't washing with me. Churches have been found out. There's no problem with extras being charged where applicable and yes, if you need to hire the choir then there is a cost associated. But the Birmingham Mail report talks of heating being an extra.

HEATING?!?!? When I go to Morrisons I don't get charged £20 for my shopping and then have a fee added for heating. Why should churches be any different?

The Diocese of Lichfield, like so many other religious institutions, need to get with the real world if they're going to prosper in increasingly sceptical times. And at a time when finances are stretched, surely the churches have a duty to their congregation to be up front about costs?

Streethay - the place that time forgot

As misleading topic headers go, this one's probably right up there.

I'm not talking of the place of course. In fact, the residents seem quite friendly (apart from those who seem to have missed the parking safety section out of their Highway Code).

What I'm actually miffed about is the Streethay Village section of the Alrewas and Fradley with Streethay website. The site is a continuation of the glossy mag that comes through the door on an infrequent basis.

It's a commendable idea and could have been a good way for parish councillors to interact with the people they represent.

However, it's not gone un-noticed that the site hasn't been updated for quite some time. Now if I wanted to play mischief maker I'd say it hasn't been updated since the tails went between the legs of some Lichfield decision makers and the ridiculous 24-hour use of a new industrial unit site was approved, despite promises that it would be opposed.

Obviously, it's more likely that the people behind it just can't be bothered to update it.

However, that's a pretty feeble excuse. I'm one man and a dog and I manage to update this site on a more regular basis than they do. Given that they have greater access to information than I do, I think it's fair to say that the site is a pretty poor show.

There's not even an opportunity for discussion (surely the point of such a site?) as the Guestbook gobbles up posts and dumps them into a black hole waiting for approval. I've had tax rebates quicker than comments published on there.

There is some good news on the events front though. After all you can all join me in my Tardis and journey back to December 21 to attend the forthcoming Streethay Carol Concert.

If those who can't handle the responsibility of handling this site, how's about they hand it over to the people in the area who a) have time to update it, b) have an interest in updating it, and c) have the interests of the area at heart - not just an interest when it suits.

The future of Lichfield's railways?

A story from the Mercury's website has pricked my interest. It's discussing the campaign for an improvement to rail services and facilities.

As someone who commuted on the cross-city line from first Lichfield City and then Lichfield Trent Valley into Birmingham, I couldn't agree more about the need for improved facilities. Trent Valley in particular is desperately in need of a major makeover.

Given that Trent Valley is the link between two rail routes, it's chronic that their aren't disabled facilities, meaning wheelchair passengers aren't able to use two of the three platforms. Add to that a massive lack of shelter when the wind and rain inevitably batters the platforms and you have a station which makes you think Dr Beeching might have had a point!

The article then mentions the re-opening of the Lichfield to Brownhills and Walsall line. In truth I never thought the line would re-open, but with the works on the new estate opposite ToyTown it seems they're putting a bridge in place in order to ensure the line remains intact - a lot of trouble to go to if the line being reopened wasn't being given real thought.

Put simply, Lichfield needs rail investment if it's to continue to grow and open up opportunities for the residents.

Check your mirror for PCSOs

Not content with being irritating for their uselessness, Police Community Support Officers in Lichfield are now showing they can't ride a bike properly.

Recent conversations with folk from the Cathedral City have revealed one mountain biking PCSO failing to use any arm signals when turning, almost causing an accident, while another has word of an irate motorist telling the PCSOs what he thought after they didn't break in time and bumped the back of his car with their tyres.

Anyone else still think PCSOs are anything other than a joke? Nope, thought not.

Too Lidl room for new store

The new Lidl store at the Trent Valley end of Eastern Avenue is quickly taking shape.

Forgetting the fact that the workmen seem to manipulate the temporary daytime traffic signals for their own needs, the one thing that has shocked me is the size of the development.

Not only does the store look tiny even when empty, there doesn't look anywhere near enough room for parking. With Tesco closed and the other stores' car parks bursting at the seams, there's likely to be great demand for Lidl (even if Lichfield's snobs deny it), especially in such tight financial times.

And even if you do get a parking spot on site, your chances of actually leaving will be minimal unless there are plans afoot for some sort of traffic management outside the site.

I'm all for new jobs and developments, but the last thing Lichfield needs right now is another main route clogged up with traffic unable to move one way or the other.

Will these young scumbags never learn?

With the death of Mick Eccles fresh in the memory and a community trying to convince us that the problems are being hyped by the national media, I saw first hand over the weekend that Lichfield's troubles are as bad as ever.

The incident in question saw a gang of youths gathered outside a Bird Street fast-food outlet and throwing some of the most vile racist filth at the staff and issuing threat after threat - leading to the arrival of three police cars and an ambulance as trouble flared.


The youths were all aged around 15 or 16 and were clearly under the influence of one substance or another.

Given everything which has happened in the past week or so, you have to ask the question of the part parents play in the scene I witnessed on Saturday evening.

People aren't stupid. They must know that their kids are hanging around the streets and they must surely smell the alcohol on them when they finally return home. And with the death of Mick Eccles, surely they must take a greater responsibility on knowing where their little princes and princesses are.

Perhaps it's time for the parents to be punished for their misdemeanours of their kids or a curfew be introduced?

One thing's for sure, if nothing's done then another Mick Eccles situation WILL happen - I saw the evidence of that from the mouths of those vile, racist youths in Bird Street.

Is the Dimbles really like Beirut?

For anyone who has seen the front page of the Lichfield Mercury this week, you'll know that a councillor's likening of the Dimbles to Beirut hasn't gone down well.

Apparently, it's the last thing the area needs. I tend to disagree.

The last thing the Dimbles needs is a sugar-coated vision of itself. Don't let the wave of community spirit in the wake of the death of Michael Eccles fool you into thinking the area was rolling meadows with a fabled London blitz community spirit - it wasn't.

The Dimbles was a place where you never felt safe. You only have to look at the amount of times you'd see a police car in the area to get a vibe for what it was really like.

To get through its problems, the Dimbles community needs to take a stand in much the way it has in the aftermath of the recent tragedy. But like anyone with a problem, the first step towards recovery is to admit you have a problem.

And no matter what the community say right now, they do have a problem.

Grit and bear it

Maybe the weather forecasters aren't over-reacting - I've just seen a gritter complete with snow plough go past The Lichfield Blog Towers.
And the plough might well be needed if we get a fair amount of the white stuff overnight, because according to an online news article, Staffordshire County Council are running out of grit.

It seems the regular routes will be salted, but no others. And more worryingly, their supplies are only likely to last until the weekend. Add to this supply problems to councils across the country and there's a worrying cocktail emerging.

Let's be fair to Staffordshire County Council though. It's not like winter happens every year so it must have come as quite a shock...

Back on the bins

Good news, Lichfield's binmen are back on their rounds after two days off.

Does beg the question of what the difference between today and yesterday is? Many of the side roads are just as bad as they were yesterday.

And with more snow forecast, will the binmen see out the week?

Where did that come from?

Awoke this morning expecting another journey through the sludge, only to be greeted by more than a dusting of snow.

Maybe I missed that one being forecast, but it was certainly unexpected - although sadly not enough to earn me a day off work!

Oh well, I'm sure there'll be much deliberation as I type as to whether or not the binmen will go out today for the first time this week. I'm beginning to think they must have glass for bones.

What is the future of Woolworths site?

Over on my Twitter page, I asked what the future of Lichfield's Woolworths site might be.

I didn't have to wait long for Lichfield District Council to Tweet (as they call it) me back. It turns out that the council are already seeking public opinion.

On their website the Council say:

The Bird Street car park has a unique and attractive location. It is a relatively tranquil area due to its proximity to Minster Pool and the Memorial Gardens. Development of the site with a mixture of uses and associated environmental improvements will contribute not only to the attractiveness of the site but to the city centre as a whole.The site lies within the conservation area and is also in close proximity to a number of listed buildings, making the site quite sensitive to development.

So what does this really mean? Well, put simply, the future of the Woolworths site could well hang on how it fits into the wider historical landscape of Lichfield.

And this is where the problem lies. Lichfield has some stark decisions to make. If it continues to market itself as Historical Lichfield, then it needs to be consistent with that message throughout all of its planning - no more TJ Hughes-style developments. Instead it should stick to it's 'traditional' values when planning new shops and attracting new outlets and look to put together an independent feel to the city centre.

But if it isn't willing to apply this sort of structure, then the historical and traditional nature of the surroundings simply cannot be allowed to dictate the level of opportunities a site like this provides.

Put simply, Lichfield cannot have it both ways. Stick in the past or develop for the future. And the people of Lichfield MUST have their say. If you don't then your voice of complaint afterwards will count for nothing.

We've bin had!

Day two of the snow 'chaos' and Lichfield's binmen are enjoying a cup of Horlicks once more.

The council have decided that it's too unsafe for them to do their rounds. I can understand that some of the side streets might be unsafe, but surely the main roads could be collected?

Given the fact that the schools are all open and the rest of us have had to go to work it seems a bit odd that binmen are at a greater risk level than the rest of us.

According to their statement online, they'll now be collecting black bins instead next week where applicable. However, they won't be accepting any side waste. You can however take it to the tip at Trent Valley - as long as you remember it's not open on Mondays and Tuesdays!

Petrol pains

Despite the fact Lichfield's roads seem to be back to normal this morning, anyone looking to fill up for a potentially long commute was in for disappointment at the Tesco filling station.

Cones prevented drivers from getting onto the forecourt at the start of the day. Not sure if it was weather related, but by putting the blockade across the forecourt entrance rather than the site entrance caused more problems than you'd expect.

Given that there's only the petrol station and pharmacy on site now (the latter not being open at 7am this morning), you'd have thought they'd have put a statement of their closure on the actual junction.

Instead, drivers were forced to go round the filling station and brave the ice and a piece of road that hadn't been used and was therefore iced over.

Every little (bit of information) helps...

D.I.Why?

It's Saturday afternoon and the light in your living room has just stopped working. The bulb is changed, the fuse is checked and still nothing. A bit of detective work shows it's the transformer (not the robot in disguise type) that's up the swanny.

Not a problem. Just pop out and buy a new one.

That is, of course, if you can find anywhere in Lichfield to buy one after 12noon on a Saturday. A trip to Tippers seemed my best bet, but sadly the limit of their lighting stock appears to be a bulb.

Undeterred, I attack the Yellow Pages with vigour determined to solve my lighting dilemma. Only problem being that there simply is nowhere in Lichfield to go for such a simple item at this time of the weekend. Ever since Focus sold its soul to Tesco, us DIYers (even us reluctant DIYers) have been left up the loft ladders without someone to tread on the bottom step.

There are rumours of a B&Q opening on Eastern Avenue for a while, but until then it's a trip to Tamworth (shudder) or Burton (even greater shudder) to buy basic supplies.

At what point did Lichfield become some sort of American Civil War outpost where a man on horseback would need to trek for basic supplies?

But worry not Lichfield-folk, those decision-makers charged with driving the development of our shopping options and attracting new business to the area will undoubtedly land us a new budget supermarket while our homes fall to pieces.

In the meantime, I'll sit in the dark and blog via candlelight.

Snow cancels bin collections

Some rubbish news that's quite useful for all you snow fans out there.

Lichfield District Council's Twitter feed has just confirmed collections won't take place today.

And rather less interestingly, tonight's Regulatory and Licensing Committee Meeting is cancelled. I'm sure you'll be gutted by that one.

To find out more visit the council website.

Driving me mad

Ordinarily, drivers doing 5mph when a light dusting of snow falls would drive me mad. But when you get snow fall like we did last night, a bit of common sense prevails.

Sadly, those driving between the A38 and Trent Valley island didn't seem to notice the driving conditions had worsened and they continued to race in both directions.

There are plans afoot to install a new (and much-needed) pedestrian crossing on that stretch of road, but given that drivers entering and exiting the A38 don't slow down when there's heavy snowfall, is there really any chance of them reducing their speeds for a pedestrian crossing?