ELSTOW LOWER SCHOOL IS OUTSTANDING... AGAIN!

Elstow Lower School, where I am Vice Chair of Governors, was the 1st Lower School in Bedfordshire rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2005/6. The Ofsted Inspection regime is now more rigorous and inspections are conducted at 2 days' notice to give a more genuine impression of school performance to Inspectors.

The school was inspected during the recent freezing cold, snowy weather in early February. All the staff, governors and children braved the weather when most of the Bedfordshire schools were closed and passed the inspection with flying colours. Once again Elstow Lower has been rated Outstanding and even the governors were rated outstanding! This is an exceptional school led by a dedicated Head Teacher Jenny Winder, enthusiastic staff and governors which draws its children not only from Elstow village but also from socially deprived families in South Bedford and many of our children do not speak English as their first language.

On Wednesday we had the final meeting of the County Council Children's Services Committee, of which I am Vice Chairman. Since my election as a County Councillor in 2005 a lot of effort has been put into improving Children's Services, which were in 'Special Measures' in 2004. The School Improvement Programme has produced much improved GCSE examination results and performance improvement in most of the Bedford Borough Upper Schools and we now have a number of Outstanding or Good Schools.

Remembering the horror of the recent Baby P case, it is reassuring for you to know that Bedfordshire's Child Protection Service is now one of only 17 rated Outstanding in England, its Youth Offending Service is rated No.1 in England, and our Fostering and Adoption Service is also rated Outstanding. When Bedfordshire County Council finally 'shuts up shop' on 31 March 2009 Children's Services will be handed over to the new Bedford Unitary Council in excellent order.

Tonight I was one of 100 school governors from the 79 schools in Bedford Borough invited to meet Chris Hilliard, the new Director of Children's Services in Bedford Unitary Council. Chris will have 5 Assistant Directors including 2 senior County Council Officers, John Goldsmith and Katie Theodore. Hopefully this team will continue to build on the County Council's success and provide a high class service for the people of Bedford Borough from 1 April 2009 onwards.

BEDFORDSHIRE'S BARREN LANDSCAPE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED WITH 1 MILLION TREES

Yesterday I mentioned the work of the Forest of Marston Vale:

"Our challenge is to use trees and woodlands to transform 61 square miles between Bedford and Milton Keynes, repairing a landscape scarred by decades of clay extraction, brickmaking and landfill. We have already planted 1 million trees and by 2030 we will plant 5 million more, working with local communities, government and businesses to create new woods and other wild places for everyone to enjoy"

In 2002 the Marston Vale Trust bought Rectory Wood, 173 acres of arable farmland between Cranfield and the ancient woodland of Marston Thrift and has been planting thousands of trees there in several phases. Phase 4 is Legacy Thrift, named by Bedfordshire County Council who have financed the planting of 24,000 trees to commemorate 120 years of the Council's work 1889-2009.

Today I received this comment from a reader, Mrs Valerie Seymour:

"Dear Cllr Faulkner, thank you for this blog. As a Bedfordshire Conservation Volunteer myself, I was delighted to hear about the planting of all these new trees in the Marston Vale. I have been there many times with my family and we are delighted to have such a fantastic project on our doorsteps! Bedfordshire should be so proud of it!

However I am concerned that Bedford Borough Council opposed the planting of these trees. Is this correct? I have read that the Mayor was completely opposed to these legacy initiatives, including the planting of 20,000 trees in the Marston.

Under the new Unitary authority for Bedford Borough, will all the good work of the County in supporting the Marston Vale have been in vain? Please do all you can to ensure that Bedford lifts its eyes and supports this great initiative! Thank you for all your support in this area so far too." "

Sadly the Mayor of Bedford and the local media constantly criticise the County Council but have failed to appreciate the benefits of this important tree project. The Labour Government has forced us to accept 20,000 new houses in the Marston area, although local residents campaigned successfully to stop the proposed Eco town. Our 24,000 trees will now provide much needed green space and new wildlife habitats for local residents to enjoy.

You have my personal assurance that as a Borough Councillor, and hopefully after 4th June as a Unitary Councillor in Bedford Borough I will continue to support the excellent work of the Forest of Marston Vale in planting 4 million more trees.

TREE PLANTING EVENT MARKS 120 YEARS OF BEDFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

WILSTEAD P3 WALKING GROUP





Last Sunday 1,000 trees were planted by staff and councillors to celebrate 120 years of Bedfordshire County Council. In total 24,000 trees will be planted at the Forest of Marston Vale forming Legacy Thrift, a new Woodland to help regenerate the Marston Vale and celebrate the 120 years of Bedfordshire County Council from 1889 - 2009.

For too long the Marston Vale has been blighted by clay extraction, brick making and landfill. The aim is to bring local communities together and create new wildlife habitats and "green lungs" in an area where 20,000 new houses are planned, so that local residents can enjoy their leisure time in beautiful Bedfordshire countryside.

This Sunday I joined 10 members of the active Wilstead P3 Walking Group on a 6 mile walk in Holwell, Hertfordshire. We then enjoyed a well earned drink in the historic Motte & Bailey Pub in the village of Pirton where I lived for 15 years. Then I returned to Elstow for an excellent Sunday roast dinner in my local, The Swan Pub.

It was a nice change to get some fresh air after a busy week looking after 2 lively small grandchildren, sitting on a complex 3 day employment tribunal and attending an interesting conference in London on "Championing the Older Generations".

Variety is the spice of life.....

SLEEPING CATS and BABIES

Last Monday I had to have my elderly female tabby cat, Spice aged 17+ years, put to sleep as she had developed kidney disease. In my sadness I was cheered up by some comical photographs of cats sleeping in strange places sent to me by a friend. Cats have an amazing ability to find cosy if eccentric places to sleep.

On Thursday we had our penultimate County Council meeting, duly reported in Beds on Sunday - I got a mention this time! Then I headed north in a flurry of snow to Staffordshire to look after 2 lively small grandchildren, Jessica, 6 and Oliver, 4 for three days, while their recently divorced mother Helen had a well earned Valentine's weekend off with her lovely new man. I was once a divorced working mother with sole responsibility for 2 young daughters after my husband went off with a younger single woman and it is hard coping 24/7 alone with two young children.

We had a flurry of nursery, swimming lessons, ballet, a visit to a Wacky Warehouse for indoor soft play, visits to the shops, walks, roller skating, Play doh, reading stories, pancake making etc. By Sunday evening I was totally exhausted. Thank goodness I am only a grandmother and not a young Mum as bringing up young children demands total commmitment, unselfishness and lots of energy.

That American single mother who chose to have 6 IVF children without a father in sight and has now produced IVF octuplets is totally selfish and irresponsible. As for the 13 year old English boy who has fathered a baby and those women who want to have babies at 60 years plus - words fail me!

Today after an early morning swim I have been sitting on a complex 3 day race discrimination employment tribunal case in Bedford - very taxing mentally but in a different way from childminding. Tonight I put up posters in Elstow village for my Advice Surgery next Saturday morning and for the Concert we are having at Elstow Abbey on the evening on Saturday 28 February at 7pm - the Luton Male Voice Choir which should be fantastic.

Finally, tonight I had to deal with all my emails and write the Foreword to the 2008/9 Annual Report of the Borough Council Corporate & Resource Committee which I chair.

Goodnight..........

BEDFORDSHIRE LEGACY CONCERT

On Sunday evening I attended a wonderful Legacy Concert at Bedford Corn Exchange performed by 200 Bedfordshire school children, celebrating the history and achievements of Bedfordshire County Council over the past 120 years. It was a fitting tribute from Bedfordshire Music Service and the award winning Bedfordshire & Luton Archive Service, both of which have well deserved national reputations for providing a first class public service .

Nigel Lutt, the County Archivist was the Narrator, telling us some fascinating historical stories, while we watched a series of old photographs and listened to a superb selection of music from each era from our very talented young musicians and singers. They had braved the snow last week to prepare for this special concert.

The Concert opened with Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No.4 and Nigel described the era 1889-1902, when Queen Victoria ruled over 25% of the world and Bedfordshire's population was only 160,000. Next we had 3 lively Gilbert & Sullivan pieces. The Leader of the Council, as the Lord High Executioner from The Mikado, read out her "Little List" of people, none of whom would be missed, including some well known Bedford figures, local journalists, rogue bankers and talkshow hosts.

Nigel told us about the period 1902-1919 when Frank Spooner, the Director of Education ran off with £5k of County Educational Funds about the time the Titanic sank, so it did not make the main headlines! In 1904, 400 driving licences were issued, including 3 to intrepid women, and dog licences were introduce in 1908.

The Legacy Orchestra then played William Walton's Facade Suite and we moved into the next age 1919-1939. In 1922 Amy Walmsley was the first female County Councillor and in the 1920's the Library and Adult Education Services were started and the first school meals were provided at Sharnbrook School in 1925.

Then it was 1939-1953. Children were evacuated to Bedfordshire to escape the London bombing during the War and in 1944 the last Glenn Miller Concert was held in Bedford before he disappeared in a plane over France. During the 1951 Festival of Britain, Moot Hall in Elstow was restored and John Bunyan's birthplace in Elstow was marked by a stone monument. After the interval we had a Glenn Miller selection from the Legacy Wind Band, who also played a lively Beatles medley to mark the 1953-1970 period. In 1957 Harold MacMillan, Prime Minister made a famous speech in Bedford using his famous phrase "Most people have never had it so good" . In 1959 the M1 Motorway was opened and Mander College, now Bedford College, was built by the County Council. The New County Hall was opened in 1970 by the Duchess of Kent.

So then it was 1970-1996 and Local Government Reorganisation in 1974 and the creation of the new Bedford Borough Council. Frank Branston, now the Mayor of Bedford, started his Bedford on Sunday newspaper in 1974. In 1983-86 a long, fierce and successful campaign was fought to stop NIREX from dumping nuclear waste in Elstow. In 1993, Bedfordshire Archive & Record Service received its 1st Charter Mark. Our next musical item was from the Dhol Drumming Group from Kymbrook Lower School - a small but very enthusiastic group of very young musicians.

So finally to 1996-2009 and we had the Legacy Choir and Rock Band performing Eric Clapton and a very emotional rendering of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up". In 1997 Luton Borough Council became a Unitary Council, and Bedfordshire County Council went through a difficult period, rated a Poor Authority in 2003. However after the appointment of a new Chief Executive in 2004, the Council was transformed in 3 years from Poor to Good, moving from 0 Stars to 3 Stars. Its success was described by The Times as "A comeback of Lazarus proportions".

The Legacy Concert ended with a rousing rendition of the Queen Bohemian Rhapsody by the combined Legacy Orchestra, Wind and Rock Bands and Choir who received a standing ovation from a very appreciative audience. Bedfordshire Music now engages 50,000 children and adults in a range of musical activities, quite remarkable when you note that there are only 63,000 school children in Bedfordshire.

As a result of the latest Local Government Reorganisation, the Labour Government has decided that the County Council will be abolished on 31 March 2009, to be replaced by 2 new Unitary Councils, Bedford Borough and Central Beds. However, fortunately both Bedfordshire Music and the Bedfordshire and Luton Archive & Record Service will be retained as "Shared Services" and will continue to provide an excellent service.

FUN IN THE SNOW

Monday's snow was a novelty for many of our children, as it is 18 years since we last had enough snow for them to build snowmen and have toboggan rides. In Bedfordshire we had several snowfalls of 4-6 inches and the older children and their parents have loved playing in it, although little ones quickly get cold.

Some Bedfordshire schools stayed open on Monday and Tuesday, including Elstow and Wilstead Lower Schools and Abbey Middle, but others closed at the first sight of snow. Teachers have had several paid days off pay while thousands of children missed
up to a week's schooling, creating major problems for working parents across the country.

Unfortunately after 4/5 days off school the novelty wears off. In Canada where snow falls often in winter the children have "snow days" which are added on to the school term in June so that their education is not disrupted. An idea which the British could copy?

Many adults, including me, can work from home using their home computers but for others who do not get paid for not being at work like the self employed, shop assistants and many other private sector workers, several days off means lost wages -and many families are already struggling financially with the credit crunch.

Maybe the Government and Local Authorities should learn from the experience of other countries who regularly suffer severe winter weather, like Canada, Russia and Scandinavia, and develop better crisis management skills, so that London and the rest of the country do not grind to a halt whenever we have snow.

GRITTING BEDFORDSHIRE ROADS IN THE SNOW

SNOWBOUND LUTON TRAFFIC

Day 5 and yet more snow falls in Bedfordshire! Some Bedfordshire schools have closed for 3/4 days although Elstow Lower School was one of the few to stay open on both Monday and Tuesday. London came to a standstill on Monday when all the underground trains stopped and buses were cancelled because one bus was seen on CCTV to slip on the ice. Bedfordshire buses kept running on Monday because of the daily gritting of the extensive A and B road network by Bedfordshire County Council.

In spite of the snow I have driven on local roads every day this week. After 5 days of snow Bedfordshire's supply of salt and grit is down to 4 days' supply. On Wednesday the Government threatened to withdraw all the Cheshire Salt Union supplies from Local Authorities, so that the Highways Agency could use it for motorways. Fortunately Bedfordshire has more salt and grit due to arrive next week.

Bedford Borough Council is running out of grit for Bedford roads and the Mayor of Bedford has criticsed the County Council in his Blog for not sharing their fast diminishing grit supply. No doubt he will also criticise the County Council next week if they run out and fail to grit A and B roads. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't! Even if the County Council had any grit to spare, the Mayor can hardly expect a friendly response when he has continually criticised the County Council, long after Bedford Borough Council won the Unitary battle. Also even he cannot blame the County Council for the Borough's failure to order enough grit.

Luton is in such a mess with snowbound traffic that it has banned motorists from entering the town centre today. Also hundreds of flights have been cancelled at London Luton Airport and many parts of the country just ground to a halt. Therefore we should be grateful that Bedfordshire County Council was well prepared for the snow and has enabled many people to get to work and school this week.

SURVIVING SNOW AND THE CREDIT CRUNCH !

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW!
Today it is snowing and in 21st Century Britain 50% of the population will get up and soldier into work somehow while 50% turn over in bed and go back to sleep. Bedford has not had heavy snow but one school closed instantly, while Elstow Lower School has stayed open - our Head Teacher is made of sterner stuff. The post has just arrived and I drove home in snow last night - but I remember living in Scotland as a child. We regularly had heavy snowfalls and were never allowed to stay off school - it was par for the course. We are fast becoming a nation of risk averse wimps, doomed to live safe, bland and boring lives with no excitement at all.

My late father survived 6 terrible years at sea during World War II on minesweepers and minelayers, including Arctic convoys to protect merchant shipping. One of his ships was sunk and half the ship's company including the captain were drowned, but never a word of complaint about his suffering crossed his lips after the War. He was also the navigator in HMS Frobisher, the leading frigate in the British Fleet during the 1944 D-Day Normandy Invasion and 33 years later he was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French Government - their highest military honour.

SURVIVING THE CREDIT CRUNCH
Last Saturday, the Friends of Elstow Abbey did their bit for the Credit Crunch by providing a wonderful Organ Recital and a generous Ploughman's Lunch with a free drink, all for £5 for the older music lovers. This was our 3rd Concert in our 1st Elstow Music Festival and the cannier souls bought season tickets for £15 for 4 concerts, so the Saturday concert and food only cost them £3.75 each. Where else in Bedford could you be entertained, fed and watered for that money in 2009?

Our 4th and final Concert will be a rousing performance from the Luton Male Voice Choir on Saturday 28 February at 7.30pm and we are well on the way to raising our target £1,000 for the 4 concerts to continue refurbishing our historic church and its organ. Not bad when we have offered such bargain prices for the 4 excellent concerts.

After a recent expensive weekend dining out, this weekend I enjoyed gourmet home cooked food at a fraction of restaurant prices. My fellow Councillor Andrew McConnell had a Jamie Oliver moment on Saturday and cooked 2 superb fillet steaks and I cooked a deilvcious lamb shank on Sunday before trampingout in the snow to deliver election leaflets for the forhcoming Unitary Elections. We are indeed fortunate to live in a country where food is plentiful and cheap, unlike the poor souls living at starvation level in Zimbabwe.