Cllr Mike Butcher

Archive for February, 2010

I have been out all afternoon getting signatures for my nomination form for the forthcoming local elections where I have to stand for re-election.  With it taking all afternoon, you could be forgiven for thinking that I needed hundreds of signatures!  No, I only needed 10!  You could also be forgiven for thinking that I had difficulty finding 10 people in the ward who are willing to sign my form. 

No!  everyone I asked to sign my form, invited me in for a chat and a cup of tea!  What a great way to spend a Thursday afternoon.  OK the form is complete, all I have to do now is make sure it gets to the Town Hall before the end of March.

Thanks everyone for your hospitality!

Attended this meeting this morning where many issues concerning the tourism industry in the Greater Yarmouth Area were discussed

We had a team in the quiz that was held at the Burlington/Palm Court Hotel this evening and we came second!  It was a great evening with a chicken supper all for £10pp.  The evening raised more than £500 for Rotary’s Charity – Foundation

Concrete base completed now we move on to build the structure!

I was informed today by Norfolk County Council that approval has been obtained to proceed with the works to upgrade the Warren Road path between Hopton & Gorleston.  The work will commence in May 2010 and should be completed before the school summer holidays start.  This has been a fairly lengthy process with one or two battles on the way but it is very gratifying to know that we have finally succeeded.

Had a great meal at the Imperial Hotel Tuesday evening, made even more enjoyable by Norwich City managing to win without me being there!  You can always rely on the Imperial to do a good job.  This was the AGM of this food and wine orientated club and Chairman Mike Kirkham informed the gathering that this was the 61st year!  Members come from predominantly the Norwich and Great Yarmouth area although there are members further afield.  We meet and dine about 8 or 9 times a year.

Visited site this morning and they are getting ready to pour the concrete to complete the base.  Should start to see things coming out of the ground soon!

Attended a pensions seminar at Norwich City Football Ground today.  It would seem that we are all going to be on our own when it comes to pensions as I was told that anyone who is 50 now, will not get a state pension at all!  Thank you very much Gordon Brown, you have already pilfered some £7-8 billion per year from our pensions funds and have the cheek to tell us to invest more money in them to cover the shortfall that you as Chancellor created in the first place!

You are now doing the same to our children and our children’s children!!  How on earth are you able to sleep at night?

Anyway, the session was brightened up by a session with Rick Wakeman that almost made us forget what GB had done to us and still is doing

Many family & friends of Parliamentary Candidate Brandon Lewis turned up on a bright, sunny but cold morning to spend the morning cleaning up rubbish off Great Yarmouth’s splendid beach.  Several County and Borough Councillors also worked alongside members of the public who also joined in.  The beach was reasonably clean but we still managed to fill a skip kindly loaned to us by the tower cafe who also supplied us with hot drinks!

Well done to all who participated!!

Off to help Brandon Lewis with the beach clean-up this morning.  Meet at Britannia Pier for anyone who is interested.