Special Council

Tonight is a special meeting of the Full Council, to approve an extension of leave of absence for a councillor who is unwell.

Under local government rules, a councillor who fails to attend a meeting of the council or a council committee for six months or more is automatically disqualified. Normally this isn't a problem - councillors' diaries are very full! But very occasionally, prolonged illness or other good reason can prevent a councillor attending meetings for months at a time - and then the only way to avoid disqualification is by a vote of the council to allow the absence to continue.

Tonight there's no disagreement among councillors; the leave of absence is supported unanimously, and the whole meeting is over in literally three minutes.

Gone to the dogs

It's the Harlow Stroke Support Group's night at the dogs at Harlow race track - a race card, complimentary drink, chicken in a basket, two £1 bets and return admission, all for £11. I don't win a thing all evening, but it's great fun and excellent company.

Bridge End Gardens and Saffron Walden Museum

Along with other Essex mayors and chairs, I've been invited by the Chairman of Uttlesford District Council to view the restored garden at Bridge End in the north of Saffron Walden.

The Grade 2* listed garden was set out by the Gibson family, prominent Saffron Walden bankers of the nineteenth century. It fell into disrepair during the last century, and only since 2003 has it begun to be restored with the help of heritage lottery money and local donations, as closely in line as possible with what we know of its layout in the middle of the nineteenth century. On the tour round, we're told that young offenders from Harlow have also been involved in work on the garden.

After an hour in the garden, we walk back to the Saffron Walden Museum, and over tea and cakes we have a 'show and tell' from curator Carolyn Wingfield and her team about some of the artefacts in the museum - from a collection of Tibetan items sold by a Buddhist monk fleeing in 1959 to be with the exiled Dalai lama, to a variant of ladybird that landed on a woman's coat in Elsenham.

Private Foster's funeral

The funeral of Private Robert Foster, killed in Afghanistan, takes place at noon today. By eleven forty the road to Parndon Wood is already chock-a-block with cars and pedestrians, and there's a massive crowd outside the crematorium - military, fire service, police, civilians, old and (especially) young, so many of his family, friends and colleagues.

The coffin is draped in the union flag, and a floral tribute saying 'Son' in white blooms stares out from the back of the hearse. As the coffin is borne into the chapel for the ceremony, it halts for the traditional volleys to be fired over it.

Those of us still out in the grounds have the ceremony piped through to us, and we stand in silence as we listen. It is almost impossible to imagine what Robert's family must be feeling, and the hearts of our local community are with them at this sad time.

Aspiration and apprenticeships

This morning my project - raising aspirations for Harlow's young people - takes me to the Kier Harlow depot, where I'm meeting Greg from Kier to hear his views about how we can help our young people achieve their potential. I'm delighted when he tells me that Kier are about to take on a clutch of young apprentices in a variety of trades - that will be a great start to working life for some of our young people. We have a useful conversation, which adds to the picture I'm beginning to build up.

A visit to Attwater & Liell

Catherine at Attwater & Liell has kindly agreed to see me to discuss my aspirations project, so at a little after nine thirty I'm sitting in the waiting area on the first floor landing. For some reason the ambience gives me that 'waiting to see the headmaster' feeling, so I'm quite glad when Catherine arrives and we settle in her office.

Catherine has asked staff at Attwater & Liell - many of whom are local parents - for their perceptions. We discuss a wide range of issues, including the impact of having schools without sixth forms; peer pressure; the celebrity culture; and careers advice in schools. We also talk about matters particular to the firm, such as work experience and the fact that the local college doesn't offer the legal executives' ILEX course.

It's another illuminating hour's conversation, all contributing useful feedback to the project, and building up a picture of local residents' and employers' views and concerns.

Aspiration project update

The advisory group overseeing my project on raising aspirations for young people in Harlow meets for the first time this afternoon. There are apologies from the representatives from local schools - not surprisingly, as the start of term is always very hectic - but about ten of us are in attendance.

After welcome and introductions, I kick off with an explanation of why I'd wanted to set up the project, and what the timetable is - my term of office ends next May so we need to have produced our conclusions by then. Jon from the Harlow Education Consortium, and Lynn from the council, follow with presentations about what's already happening and what some of the issues might be.

After a brief discussion, Suzanne from Raytheon gives us a presentation on their Six Sigma process - we agree that this could be helpful to us, and that we need a longer meeting in a couple of months' time where we can look at what information is available, what the priorities are and what we can achieve.

It's clear that this isn't going to be an easy project, especially in such a short time, but we're all agreed that it's one of the most important issues facing Harlow.

Firebreak pass out parade

Along with other councillors, I've been invited to witness the pass out parade of the latest successful recruits to Essex County Fire & Rescue Service's Firebreak scheme, at the fire station on First Avenue at one o'clock.

The scheme is intended for Year 9, 10 or 11 students in local schools, and is funded in part by the Safer Harlow Partnership, which includes Harlow Council. Ten young squad members are passing out today, and they give us a very impressive demonstration of what they've learned on the five days of their course. They unfurl hoses, spray the water, scale a ladder against a tall building and 'rescue' a dummy which they lower down to safety on the ground.

The yard of the fire station is filled with proud relatives and representatives of the local schools, who applaud as the successful recruits receive their certificates and portfolios. Then it's time for tea and biscuits, and - just as almost everybody has gone home - a real 'shout' for the professional firefighters to turn their attention to.

Cllr Collyer's funeral

The funeral of Cllr Roy Collyer, who sadly passed away last weekend, took place at Parndon Wood this morning. Not surprisingly, given his service of over thirty years as a local councillor, the turnout was high, with family, friends, colleagues and representatives of a range of local organisations with which Roy was involved. Our sympathies go to his widow Janet and their children and grandchildren.

Correspondence

I was very pleased indeed to receive a letter today about the Town Show, from one of the town's housing association partners Moat Homes Ltd.

"In keeping with many organisations we distributed free gifts to visitors to our stand, including pencils and balloons to children and young people. May I therefore pass on our observation that the children and young people who visited us were without exception polite and well mannered. Although I am sure this is usually the case it often goes unreported and we were both sufficiently encouraged by such a warm reception that we felt it worthy of comment."

Well done to the children and young people of Harlow.

A very busy day

My diary is already looking very full, but the day starts extra early as my phone rings while I'm cooking breakfast. It's a resident of another ward, who saw me speak at the meeting of the Planning Committee last night and wants to tell me about the demolition of a building near her home which is causing her concern. I leave a message on a senior council officer's voicemail.

My first scheduled stop is Raytheon at ten o'clock, to talk about my 'aspirations' project. Richard, Suzanne and Sam from Raytheon give me three quarters of an hour to discuss what it's all about, and make the very generous offer of lending us some of their Six Sigma expertise to help us shape the project. That's more than I could have hoped for, and I leave feeling very encouraged indeed.

Back in town, I have a brief meeting with the Head of Legal & Democratic Services; then it's off for an informal meeting with some party colleagues. An hour later I'm back in the Civic Centre, running through my diary with Sue and Anne, and dealing with correspondence.

Then it's off to the stroke unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital, to attend the opening of their beautiful garden. The sun is shining, the french windows of the wards are all open onto the lawn, and staff of all tiers from chief executive to orderlies have joined patients past and present, with their families, for tea and the chance to enjoy this wonderful amenity. Staff and patients have worked really hard to put this garden together and keep it looking colourful and inviting - it's a real haven of peace and tranquillity.

I meet a young man who has just experienced a stroke - while he was walking to the hospital to visit his son, ironically - and an older man who has had several strokes including one to the brain stem, and has battled determinedly (and successfully) to overcome them. Everyone is full of praise for the unit and its staff, and the quality of care they have received. There are quite a few older couples here today, and as one of them says to me, "It's often hard for people to tell which one of us has had the stroke"! I also receive an invitation from the Trust Chairman to visit the hospital's groundbreaking new Cellular Pathology department.

I've got to be off for a meeting with my Netteswell council colleagues, and then home for a brief spell to read my emails - down to fewer than a hundred requiring action, a record low! - and cook some supper, setting some aside for Nick who arrives from work just as I'm leaving to go out again for an evening meeting.

The Essex Scene

Essex County Council chairman Gerard McEwen has invited the mayors and chairs of all the Essex Districts to a reception at County Hall tonight to open an exhibition called The Essex Scene.

It's a showcase that gives local arts clubs and societies from around Essex the chance to demonstrate their work, and reflect the diversity of the county's landscape and coast.

Harlow is well represented, with paintings including views of the Civic Centre, Apple Tree Cottage and St Andrew's Church - and a portrait of last year's council chairman, Cllr Greg Peck. I'm delighted to have the opportunity to chat with one of the Harlow artists - Chris Turner, with his wife Shirley - whose work is on show.

But I will confess that it's the paintings of the Essex coast that I love most - Thames barges, Heybridge, Maldon, the Blackwater and Mersea. There are plenty of wonderful examples.

The exhibition is open to the public throughout September at County Hall in Chelmsford, and most of the 150+ exhibits are available to buy - though some have already been snapped up.

Councillor Roy Collyer

Following on from the death of councillor Jack Jesse last month, we were all saddened yesterday to hear of the loss of councillor Roy Collyer after a long illness. Roy was the longest serving member of Harlow Council, having given over thirty years of service to the council and the community.

Jolly good Show

People are already beginning to roll up at the showground by the time we arrive for the Harlow Town Show. We park in the allocated space, with about half an hour in hand before I need to be 'on duty'.

I drop off some leaflets with Su and Lesley at their stand (the bouncy castle, which is already doing brisk business), and then stop off to see the wolves. When the show was in the early stages of preparation, I asked organiser Gill whether we could have the wolves over from the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, and she's made it happen. Brother and sisters Alba, Lunca and Latea - European wolves - are here, Alba still limping but very lucky to be alive at all after running at a fence post a couple of years ago and breaking his neck. They're already attracting interest, and I hear later that there have been crowds two- or three-deep all day at their enclosure.

My next stop is my charity, Harlow Stroke Support Group. They've decided to run a dominoes stall - 50p for a game, with mugs kindly donated by Pitney Bowes as prizes. (Jean tells me that Pitney Bowes also made a generous donation to the Group after the Diamond Ball a couple of months ago - thank you, Pitney Bowes). I'm honoured to play the first game of dominoes, with the Chairman of Tendring (modesty forbids me from saying who won).

Then it's time to meet and greet my guests for lunch in my marquee. I've invited the High Sheriff of Essex, mayors and chairs from around the county, the MP, the council group leaders and the chairman of the council's Standards Committee, representatives of the residents' associations from my ward, Sally and Roger from Parndon Mill - not forgetting representatives from Barratt Homes and Harlow Renaissance, whose financial support has helped make the Show possible. While we eat a superb lunch by our caterer Walkers, we're entertained by Graham Gee, a musician supplied through the kind offices of Explosion Entertainments, a community interest company that promotes volunteer entertainers to UK registered charities. I make a short (well shortish, for me) speech of thanks to my guests, and present Anne, Joan and Gill with some flowers to show my appreciation of their hard work in putting the event together.

After lunch, I'm asked to visit the Barratt Homes marquee, where I'm photographed talking with company representatives. Then at half past three it's the Fairtrade stand, where I make a speech launching the application by Harlow Fairtrade Town Group for Harlow to be designated a Fairtrade Town. The Group has put a lot of work into this, as the application has to demonstrate that the town has met several criteria, including availability of Fairtrade products in the council's own premises, in cafés and restaurants and local businesses, and publicity for Fairtrade in the local press.

During my chat with Barratts earlier, I'm delighted that they've expressed keen interest in sponsoring the production of Fairtrade posters and stickers for local use, as well as introducing Fairtrade tea and coffee in their own show offices - and have generously agreed to provide an auction prize for my Civic Dinner next month. It's exactly these sorts of connections that my role as Chairman, and the Show as an event, are able to make possible, which is a real reward.

Then it's back to my marquee to host afternoon tea for councillors and the Youth Council; members of the Stroke Support Group are also glad of a cup of tea and a piece of cake after a busy day.

So it's not till about twenty past five that I'm free to visit any more stands - and by now they're already being dismantled. I have a chance to talk to some of them, however, including the Essex Yeomanry, Harlow Conservation Volunteers, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Amnesty, and council staff who have been running stands about the council's housing services and community engagement. All agree it's been an excellent day.

At twenty past six, I'm ready to leave, so I call Nick for a lift home, and a chance to put my feet up and watch The Queen - a film I've been meaning to get around to seeing for ages. A perfect end to a perfect day.