Page 34 - Phonebox Magazine June 2013

We were invited along to this meeting on 1st of May when the guest speaker was Mike Flood of Powerful Information. This quasi of cial body have been working with disabled people in a small corner of the Northern Region of Sierra Leone; they draw funding from Bob Geldoff’s out t and so forth.
We heard an immense volume of the gobbledegook which can only come from a sociologist as an apology for achieving very little in return for their support. I found it rather depressing especially when compared with the achievements of Faith based charities such as the Olney-Newton Link, CAFOD and such.
It added to my belief that government sponsored bodies will never match the effects of personal charitable giving; the Olney-Newton group raise all their income from local giving in our own corner of the land, they do not burn up the tax payers goodwill.
I have however drawn some pleasure arising from the meeting: My own connection with Newton goes back to February 2002 when I travelled out to help initiate the banking arrangements for moving funds between Olney and the Koya Rural Youth Development Organisation. These were local people endeavouring to mend their homes and lives following on a string of civil wars and the invasion from nearby Liberia. Rena Partridge of St Peter & Paul’s had been there a year or so previously in response to an appeal for help addressed to John Newton’s former parish. Back in Olney it fell to me to address Olney Town Council suggesting we build an of cial link with the little town of Newton. During my own visit a youngster latched onto me wherever I roamed. He was the son of the local head man soon to become chief. His determination led to him being called Junior Bacchus.
At the A.G.M. I was able to ask Rachel Lintern if we might hope for news of that young fellows subsequent progress; losing no time whatsoever Rachel was soon telling me the boy is presently doing some exams and his teachers consider him very bright. I’m attaching a photo from our rst encounter and hugging myself over the prospect that he may some day visit me hereabouts.
Olney-Newton Link A.G.M
Geoff Bacchus
An Eye on Newport Pagnell
A NEW MAYOR FOR NEWPORT PAGNELL
At the Annual Meeting of Newport Pagnell Town Council Councillor John Smith was unanimously elected as Town Mayor.
John was born in 1945 and brought up in Northolt in Middlesex, moving to Newport Pagnell in 1978. He has held a wide variety of jobs including a drawing of ce junior; assistant manager of a
toy shop; a computer operator running an IBM 360/30 main-frame computer and a job working for a avours and essence company. Another job change saw John working at Aston Martin.
Although he loved the Town, John felt that there were things that could be done to make Newport Pagnell a
better place to live. It was suggested, when talking to a Town Councillor, that he should become one himself so 10 years ago
he joined the Town Council. He sits on the Allotments committee, Town Planning and Management and the Public Relations and Events committee, and has served as chairman of the Property Management for a number of years. He is also a member of the Neighbourhood Action Group and a board member of the Newport Pagnell Partnership, representing the volunteer gardeners
who look after Ousebank Gardens and the old cemetery. He is extremely proud to have been elected to the position of Town Mayor, and deeply committed to serving Newport Pagnell.
Fair thee well....
C’llor Simon Baines resigned from the council having served the town for twelve years. I attended the town meeting with a view to enjoying his brief return as compère. If the television moguls had ever realised how good he is in such circumstance we would surely have lost his services long ago....and he works entirely in good English.
The town’s annual meeting is an open
event at which everyone is welcome. It amazes me that so few come along, this is everyone’s opportunity to audit the working of your own town. Certainly the attendance does get a little better each year but the council richly deserve a greater response. The town’s own press release tells of the whole event but I was fascinated by
the outline we were given of Aston Martin’s hundred year history.
I have memories of driving such as Ford Cortinas and Vauxhaul Cavaliers and sometimes wonder where they’ve all vanished. Aston Martin have cause to believe that over 80% of all the motors they’ve ever built are on the road to this day, I believe we are to learn more from them as the year advances.Back in the council chamber a few days later Wendy Egan completed two years service as mayor, a taxing task certainly but she insisted every day had been a pleasure. By election the burden now passes to councillor John Smith so Wendy strung the chain of of ce onto his shoulders.
Newport Pagnell Christmas Lights goes Green
We are pleased to announce that we are hoping to turn the Christmas lights “green” this year. Our plan is to buy completely new lights for the town tree and to replace all the lights on the strings with more energy ef cient LED bulbs. To do this we need to raise £7000 before the lights go up. If you would like to help with this we are selling shares at £3 each. Please contact any of the team for further information or select on the Make a Donation Link on www.nplc.co.uk Please help with our campaign.
Newport Pagnell Lights Committee members (in red teashirts) from the left are Jon Hooton, Mark Lombardo, Helen Mclean and Martin Roughley being presented with a cheque for £172 by xxxxxx and Elaine Chalk of ‘Pound & Bargain’ from customer donations.
34 Phonebox Magazine
Encore for The Lamb
Camra’s pub of the year is once again The Lamb in Stoke Goldington, an accolade they also won in 2008. This is the fruit of studied attention to the choice and care of an exciting range of ales alongside a menu which regularly draws people in from ten miles around. The success owes much to the close attention paid to the comfort of visitors. The Lamb is notably dog friendly and caters besides for well behaved children. If you’ve not been before then get along for a very lling Sunday roast but be advised that it might
pay to book in advance, the telephone number is 01908 551233. GB