Manston Airport

To some its a nuisance, an anachronism, not a word I ever thought I'd use when staring out the window during a grey less than inspirational  English lesson at Charles Dickens secondary modern  back in day,  or ten minutes ago sat in the back of a van after a day building railways,   anyhoo I never thought you could buy any airport for a quid and six months later be considering the asset value.

Things change and some believe that Manston, belongs to another age, the airport has changed over time maybe it still could, so rather than tragedy of 140 people and their families facing a grim future, perhaps there could be a future.

Here's one version in the form of a

Press Statement from George Cunningham and Russ Timpson, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates for North and South Thanet respectively. 

We cannot afford to lose Manston – Liberal Democrat candidates call for the creation of an aircraft recycle site to create jobs and growth for Thanet. 

Speaking at the "Save Manston" meeting last weekend, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidates George Cunningham (North Thanet) and Russ Timpson (South Thanet) have called for a new strategic plan for Manston airport, including a new focus for its use as an aircraft recycle site, as well as widening the search for investors. 

“The future of Manston airport is not necessarily in passenger traffic. The fact is that it is the only place in the UK having an environmental agency licence to recycle aircrafts. No single facility exists in the world currently to meet the huge worldwide demand expected in the next few years. Any new investor would find Manston a unique international proposition in this respect,” said Russ Timpson, also an expert in this field.  

The Liberal Democrat candidates also want to build links between Manston and East Kent College in order to also use the airport as a civil aviation training facility. 

“One of the major challenges for recycling aircraft is the need of qualified engineers and staff. Now, the presence of East Kent College represents for us a strategic advantage. We can link with East Kent College to train engineers and create apprentices for students. Thus, in 3-5 years' time, these people will be able to serve as staff for operational aircrafts. Moving toward this direction would lead to the creation of qualified jobs' positions and of a national centre of excellence in the field such as an Aerospace college" Timpson continued. 

Cunningham says "We Liberal Democrats believe in deeds, not just words. There is a search for investors going on but there seems no business plan to attract them. I am already using my international contacts to widen the scope of the search for investors, particularly in  the Far East". 

Cunningham and Timpson reject suggestions that Manston's future could stay primarily in passenger traffic and tourism. Dover and other constituencies are said to have already tried for years to develop in that direction without success. 

Sunday not like it used to be.

Simple pleasures, like taking a stroll around town, on a Sunday, doesn't seem as popular as it once was, I notice parks are generally thinly populated, it's probably a sign of the times why stroll when you can shop at Westwood even the seafront at  Margate appeared lonely and unloved.

I suppose it is still April but in the sun it seemed warm enough, strolling around looking for somewhere to eat is not one of my best skills, and Sundays is always a difficult with me, since many eateries choose to do roast dinners, which in my opinion are always best home cooked, eventually settled for Beano's, not a bad choice as it happens, simple food, liver and bacon a classic.

Not sure what or why but it was pleasing to see children and teenagers in scouting clobber, march down past the Turner Contemporary along the front and then up the High St. as I say I don't know what it was all about but good to, that children are still involved in such groups.

I just wonder how much longer it will be that people will be allowed parade with the Union Jack and the St George Cross before being accused of hate crime or offending feeble brained Labourites and wolly liberals.

Anyway as we know shortly the Farage road show comes to town, and I just hope that he will be able to speak without the previous nonsense from Thanets red brigade a strange mixture of eccentrics from militant little ladies understandably upset over animal rights at Ramsgate port, but no so keen on fellow humans, bulk standard socialist worker types, the odd councillor and a sprinkling of what appears to be work shy layabouts who've spent too convincing themselves that cannabis improves their health.

Anyhoo that's enough, I shall now, have a break, still briefly I'm looking forward to seeing the UKIP leader (if I can get a couple of tickets) and I hope this time Thanets thugs and the slippery cheer leaders step back. 

Finally and it needs saying I've not become a member of UKIP but they certainly have a valid cause and one which I agree, Europe is without legitimacy, no question and migration is completely out of control, its simply true we don't have the space or the need for more people.

Thanet Councils new tactic in the war on open government?

Exhibit 1 Last weeks video of  Thanet District Council meeting , if you care click on the Youtube link above, you will probably have the urge to turn it off within a few seconds. For some "technical reason" the sound has an echo, making what is, often the unintelligible, even more so.

This problem appeared on the previous video, and you would have thought that the council would have put some effort into sorting this out, but given their hostility to implementing government wishes, to allow the public to record meetings, they haven't.

I appreciate that many Thanet councillors and  "officers" are put out by public scrutiny, and many have a severe personality disorder thinking they are vastly more important than the oiks such as you and I who merely foot the bill for their often delusional self importance way of doing things.

Thanet Council seems to ignore the fact that you and I pay their wages or allowances, the least they could do is welcome the public and scrutiny, I must say how surprised I am the Labour (often sold as the peoples party) have continued TDC an apparent vendetta, against the people they work for.

I think that Sue Mcgonical chief exec  and Clive Hart council leader, have a duty in a democratic society to be open, and while I think of it Thanet council was recently audited by the Local Government Association, they have received a draft report which admittedly is not the same I presume as the finished item but why not let councillors and the public have a gander.

No wonder many of us view the council with great distrust, particularly when bad news is feed to the public, months, even years after the event and then only when those responsible have got their stories straight and the right spin in place.

Breakfast thought - What a beautiful place - Cllr Clive Hart's Head

What it must be to have the mind of Labour Leader Clive Hart, where everything is beautiful, a marvellous meander through Thanet is documented in Friday's Gazette where we discover that everything is just tickey-boo.

Not only do we live in a wonderland but according to Clive Hart's recent report to Council, things are pretty much fine and dandy, as far as council matters are concerned.

Presumably when Clive takes a stroll around his manor he does not visit or even enquire how people feel about the decline around the much of Northdown Rd. and particularly the Margate end. Several people I've spoken, with feel intimidated, uncomfortable or threatened, even allowing for the beauty of the place including myself.

Clive doesn't think it necessary to mention bad debts, money for housing diverted to pay legal costs of an illegal ban on exporting animals, or more bad debts being written off another quarter mill, down the pan to join the millions lost to TransEuropa ferries.

Wouldn't it be nice if we had more, reality and less politics.

Lets hope next time Clive gives an opinion, he's fully awake and not just dreaming.

GET FARAGE!

 It started with the Common Market for those of us old enough to remember, we were reassured that our sovereignty would never be surrendered and it has ended with Angela Merkel calling the shots.

 I've seen and know those who've been replaced by cheaper labour.

The EU don't do audits, (that is the process of checking accounts) apparently it's more cost effective to just give money away to MEP's and the like.

Mine most likely, my well educated mid income readers need not fear, the middle classes tend to have well protected employment contracts, ordinary people like me, zero hours contracts and no rights, and not even the support of our better off countrymen and women.

How will it all end, probably with an avalanche of propaganda such as that from our left of centre friends, just look at the rational output from Christine Tongue, films interview with the man who assualted Nigel Farage in Margate (all justification and not a lot of sorry), and flilms a sort of Match of the Day type highlights show of the  angry hostile protesters.

Forgive me if I and roughtly seventy percent of the population are not just ready to give up on what was once our home, Great Britain or to see this countries, call them what you will, lefties, liberals, intelligentsia, looneys or whatever bury our freedom and celebrate thugs on some twisted slur. National interest is not racism. 

Eight Years and a bit

Years, of news and comment, time flies when your having a good moan up.

Blogging, why do it, I often forget how long this blog has been a part of my life, I never forget why. But still the urge is weak these days, due to the endless disappointment of useless incompetent politicians tends drain the life out of me.

If you look at local media, newspapers and broadcasters, news output is rarely comprehensive, it's too easy for journalists to accept being spoon fed, that's why in recent weeks national broadcast news has endlessly reported the missing Malaysian airliner, and while doing so taking our minds off the crisis in the Ukraine and the West impotence in dealing with the awful criminal Putin.

The catalyst for this blog, was the incompetence of local government in getting the Turner Contemporary off the ground.  Unfortunately the local politisphere is still populated with those of average ability but high levels of self importance and the not unnatural, urge to grab as much of your money as they can.

Recent history has highlighted and boasted my view that local government is more than flawed, I'm sorry that I haven't time, recently to comment, but would like to thank in particular Cllr Ian Driver for giving us some flavour of the ineptitude of Thanet's Labour administration.

It would appear that Thanet's Labour group intend to govern at any price, just look at the dreary coalition that exist apparently with the sole purpose of affording hard "working" Labour to stagger from crisis to crisis.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of Thanet Council is the pure hostility toward democracy, members of the public harassed at public meetings, shocking contempt for democratic decisions such as Clive Hart fighting his fellow democratically elected representatives over planning decisions (EKO) with the councils own money (YOUR MONEY), of course worse than Clive Hart seems to be the strange behaviour of council officers (who are virtually unsackable like all "public servants") who appear to be actively politicised refusing in the most petty fashion to assist.

Thanet council is facing a morass of financial disasters, with air head Labour thinking, things look pretty bad, finally just to give a flavour, Labour ignoring the fact that they did as much as they could to damage Manston Airports chances have created the Manston task force, no doubt this will make Labour top knobs feel good, contrast this with the Conservative response from MPs Sir Roger Gale and Laura Sandys who have at least challenged Anne Gloag and tried to save Manston. 

PS Thanks to local Bloggers such as Louise Oldfield, Ian Driver and Michael Child we have a window into our world which would not be covered by the Isle of Thanet Gazette, Thanet Extra, and taxpayer funded local BBC journalists.

Clive Hart's surprising Manston comments

Writing last week in the isle of Thanet Gazette, Clive Hart made a couple extraordinary comments one suggesting that Manston airport had the support of TDC whenever and wherever, really?

To back that up this statement followed " I was delighted when KLM launched its regular service to Schiphol and was very pleased to attend the launch event.

Pity that at the time of the launch event he rather uncharacteristically refused to discuss his enthusiasm when invited to talk to BBC RADIO KENT.

Come off it Clive, refresh your memory click here and read how you didn't support Manston.