HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day when we remember the millions of people killed in racially motivated wars - the 2nd World War, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur.

In Hitler's Nazi Germany 6 million people were murdered in concentration camps - mainly Jews, but also Polish Roman Catholics, Russians, gypsies, homosexuals, political opponents and mentally and physically handicapped people who were not deemed to meet the distorted Nazi vision of racial purity. In one notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz in Poland, one million people died.

This evening I attended a moving and emotional Commemoration of Holocast Memorial Day organised by Bedfordshire SACRE and performed by students from 5 different Bedfordshire schools at Samuel Whitbread Community College in Clifton. Rabbi Thau lit Memorial Candles and led the prayers. Therer was a moment of silence to remember the dead and all those affected by racism, discrimination and persecution across the world.

The students performed various musical, drama and dance items including "Mountain Language" by Harold Pinter and one student from Samuel Whitbread talked about her visit to Auschwitz. Sadly racism still pervades the world today and one student reminded us that 260,000 people were victims of hate crime in the UK last year. Bedfordshire school students have planted 500 yellow crocuses in memory of all the Jewish children who died in Nazi Germany, chosing yellow as a symbol of the yellow star badges they were forced to wear during the War to identify them to the Nazis.

The Bishop of Bedford made some final comments and the audience, which children and adults of all ages, made the following pledge:

Statement of Commitment
"We must make sure that future generations understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect upon its consequences. We vow to remember the victims of Nazi persecution and of all genocide.

We pledge to strengthen our efforts to promote education and research about the Holocaust and other genocide. We will do our utmost to make sure that the lessons of such events are fully learnt.

We condemn the evils of prejudice, discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant and democratic society."

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

Most New Year Resolutions are broken by the end of January but I have made two this year which I intend to keep. Firstly, after a very stressful and demanding 2008, with little personal free time I decided that I will take some time out each week to get fit and sometimes just "chill out". Secondly I need to lose some weight, a real challenge for someone who loves her food.

Therefore I have just rejoined LA Fitness in Bedford and started going to Aquacise classes last week between Council meetings. Early tomorrow morning I have a gym session with a personal trainer and will try to use the gym at least once a week in addition to the Aquacise and some morning walks.

The weight reduction and "chilling out" may prove more challenging, although I did lose 2 stone two years ago, raising £800 for the British Heart Foundation. To give me the incentive to cut down on high calorie, fattening food, last weekend I enjoyed a farewell treat by dining out in two Bedford restaurants which I had not previously visited.

On Friday three fellow councillors, Andrew McConnell (Blogging for Bedford) Peter Hand, Tom Wootton, his lovely wife Elizabeth and I dined out at Harpurs in the Broadway, celebrating Peter's 30th Birthday. We enjoyed a delicious meal and some good wine with first class, friendly service in pleasant modern surroundings.

On Saturday a friend took me out for a belated New Year dinner at the chic and trendy Four Restaurant in St. Peter's Street where the portions were very dainty and well presented but unexciting. It was half empty so maybe the Credit Crunch is beginning to bite. We had planned to eat at my friend's favourite restaurant, Santinielli's which is cheap, cheerful and noisy but it was too crowded, another sign that times are hard.

Progress reports will follow...........

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

WILSTEAD PARISH CHURCH and ELSTOW ABBEY

Last week was exceptionally busy and included a 3 day Employment Tribunal, a Speed Reading course, a Finance Briefing for the new Unitary Council, a BBC 3 Counties Breakfast interview, a Community Safety Forum with the Police and representatives from 6 villages and a meeting to launch Wilstead Parish Plan. I also visited a local farming family to advise them on a peculiar situation whereby their home is cut in half by the boundary between Haynes and Wilstead and will be located in 2 different Unitary Councils, Central Beds and Bedford Borough Councils in April.

Today I went to Wilstead Parish Church to present gifts purchased with a grant from my Community Leader's Fund - 2 lovely English Ash wooden collecting bowls, made by Ray Terry a Wilstead resident, and a CD Player and CDs of hymns for use when an organist is not available to play. In the congregation were 16 week old triplets, Alex, Jessica and Oliver with their proud parents and a pair of identical boy twins. There must be something in the water in Wilstead....

This evening I attended a Joint Ecumenical Service at Elstow Abbey to celebrate the 100th Week of Prayer for Christian Unity organised by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, with representatives from many different Bedford churches. I was invited to attend both as Vice Chairman of Bedfordshire County Council and Elstow's local Councillor. Also I sang the anthem - A Clare Benediction by John Rutter - with the choir and we had some rousing hymns including Cwm Rhondda and an interesting Sermon from David Cornick, General Secretary of Churches Together in England.

Next Saturday 31 January Elstow Abbey Friends are holding the 3rd Concert in our 1st ever Elstow Music Fesitval - an Organ Recital by Bedfordshire Organists Association at 12 noon. Tickets are only £7.50 (£5 for pensioners) including a Ploughman's Lunch - a real bargain for those who are watching the pennies in the Credit Crunch. Tickets can be bought on the door and all are welcome.

Never a dull moment for this local Councillor - and I even found time to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th US President!

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

On a freezing cold January day in Washington DC Barack Obama took the oath of office from Chief Justice Roberts today at the US Capitol to become the 44th President of the United States in front of a huge crowd of one million Americans.

Barack Obama is the living embodiment of the American dream as the 47 year old is the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia and worked as a community worker before studying to be a lawyer and academic and became the Senator for Illinois in 2004. President Obama faces enormous economic and political challanges. He has already shown a sure touch in appointing strong candidates to key jobs, including former political opponents like Hillary Clinton as his Secretary of State. She will have to deal with the Middle East crisis and the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, which will keep her very busy.

Obama's election is important for the free world, as he wants to restore America's role as a benign world leader and has a far more international outlook than most previous US Presidents. Obama is a thoughtful intellectual, rare in a politician and a complete contrast to George Bush, who often found it hard to string a sentence togethe and was very unpopular in recent years.

In his Inauguration speech President Obama called on all Americans to accept personal responsibility for trying to solve the challenging tasks confronting the nation, and he reached out to the world saying "And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation and every, man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity and we are ready to lead once more".

WELCOME TO 2009!

MADEIRAN NEW YEAR FIREWORKS AND LEVADAS




Hi everyone and a Happy New Year to you all! I am back from my New Year holiday in Madeira 24 hours late due to fog at Funchal Airport which caused the cancellation of my Easyjet flight and an overnight stay in Santa Cruz village close to Funchal Airport.

For the first time I watched Madeira's famous New Year Firework Display standing in the port with thousands of local Madeiran people and tourists. The Firework Display was spectacular and you can watch a video of it on U Tube.

After a lively family Christmas and a busy working year I enjoyed a break to 'recharge my batteries'. I aimed to get fitter with some Levada Walks, in wonderful scenery as shown in the 2 photos above, but sprained my left calf muscle on an 8 mile walk, and have been hobbling around for a week. I did managed to shake off a heavy cold acquired before I left a freezing cold UK on New Year's Eve.

The downside? The holiday was expensive as our weak £ only buys 1 Euro now when one year ago the £ was worth 1.4 Euros. We economised by eating meals in my small Timeshare apartment (purchased in 1988) and packed up sandwich lunches. Just for the record, this was a private holiday funded by me and nothing to do with the Councils. After arriving home 24 hours late, I immediately had to rush off to 3 meetings and have a busy month ahead.

Let's hope that 2009 will be more cheerful than the end of 2008. We must keep smiling and learn to live more economically. Those of us who grew up in the post war years can remember food rationing but it will be hard for younger people who have grown up in more affluent times and have never learned to 'save for a rainy day'.