Carnival 2014

A really good day at the Acocks Green carnival yesterday. After heavy showers very early on, the rain held off for the rest of the day and the parade went off well. We had our usual stall under the treeline and I spent some time helping with the parade marshalling (sorry to any drivers who were inconvenienced while the parade passed down through the Village).

This is a great annual event, which is part funded by the Ward Committee Community Chest, but driven by a dedicated community organisation. It just shows what people can achieve together.

And the Guess the Weight of The Cake competition was won by a Mr SW from Sheldon, who was closest at 3lbs 8oz.

Acocks Green Carnival

The weather delivered with industrial quantities of bright sunlight, a complete reversal of last year's carnival-wrecking downpour. The carnival was really well attended and the parade managed to make its way from Victoria Road to the site without any injuries. There's not a lot more you can ask for, but spare a thought for those people who give up their time throughout the year to keep the carnival running - they meet again in September to start planning next year's event. I was lending a hand this time, trying to marshal the parade and helping to get vehicles onto the site first thing.

We ended the weekend on Sunday night with the traditional Civic Service, arranged by the Acocks Green Churches Together and this year, we went to the Christian Centre on Westley Road, where we had the pleasure of the company of the new Lord Mayor, Mike Leddy, who spoke about the health of carnival being indicative of the health of the community.

Sunday morning saw the Acocks Green in Bloom team out again and I joined them for an hour's weeding on the central reservation.  Judging is only a couple of weeks away and Fran and her band of helpers are pulling out all the stops to try to do better than last year's bronze. If anyone can, they can.

Sadly, not everybody shares that community spirit. Along the Warwick Road, Shirley Road and into Botteville Road, somebody has decided to tag a number of walls, fences and other items. I've been liaising with the Business Improvement District, our anti-graffiti team and the police and we'll get this cleared as soon as possible. This is a real kick in the teeth for those who have worked so hard to clean up the Green.

Carnival hits the Green

Only a few days now until the Acocks Green carnival. As always, it is up on the Recreation Ground on Broad Road, with the street procession leaving Victoria Road at 1pm and reaching the show ground at 1:30 after travelling along the Warwick Road and Westley Road.

There's a packed programme of events in the arena and a whole load of stalls from local groups and others - do get along.

The whole thing kicks off at 10am with a Five a Side football tournament and there will be a dog show, caged bird show as well as a children's flower show.

Just hoping that the weather holds off - we don't want a repeat of last year's deluge.

No Go to Conservation Area in Acocks Green

People in Acocks Green have been stunned and angered by a decision to delay plans to establish a conservation area to preserve the historic appearance of parts of Acocks Green.

Only a few months ago, the Liberal Democrat councillors promised that work to set this up would start within six months, but it has been revealed that it hasn't even been scheduled with the conservation team at the City Council, who currently have their work planned out for the next eighteen months.

It was further revealed that even this work is under threat as the conservation department's experienced manager is retiring and not being replaces and further job cuts are on the horizon.

So, as it stands, a promise made by the Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Cllr Neville Summerfield, at a meeting with interested parties in Acocks Green, will not be delivered. Given that the Liberal Democrats are allied with the Conservatives to run the City Council, it is a measure of their unimportance that breaking a promise is taken so lightly.

Carnival Time Again

It didn't seem too good this morning, with darkened skies and the rain lashing the windows, but the gloom lifted enough to give us a few hours of sunshine and blue skies. As usual, the Labour Party in Acocks Green turned out to run a small stall and the visitors were quite positive about us and we did a good trade in our games, including a Guess the Weight of the Cake competition.

As today marks the 60th birthday of the National Health Service, my wife produced this doctor's bag laden with equipment and medicine for the stall.

We'd barely set up the stall in the shade of the trees when our first customer hove into view. You know, I'm sure I've met him somewhere else before. Ironic really, that John Hemming's shiny pound will go towards the costs of ejecting him at the next election. His guess, of 2lbs (everybody made their suggestions in imperial measurements) was way out, as the actual weight was just under 2 lb 13 oz and the winner now has her cake.