Damsons
Is Boris reading the Chronicle? Regular readers will recall this time last year my appeal for damsons so that I could make some jam. The very best damsons in Bexley used to be along a little worn track that is now a road that leads to the ever-busy David Lloyd leisure club. They were the size of plums and one could fill a basket in about twenty minutes.
In his last column in the Daily Telegraph, our regular breakfast read, Boris rambled on about the poor harvest of our favourite fruit this year. Quite right but it’s not only damsons but all plums. Our victoria plum tree barely showed four good fruits this year all killed off by the disastrous weather in the Spring.
On the other hand the apples seemed to have fared well as my photo shows. Notice our dovecote in the background. The birds give us pleasure every day.
Queen Mary’s hospital
I notice the indignation being shown by many readers and especially our councillors about the changing role our local hospital is to play in the community. I am personally of the opinion that medical people know more than me about their affairs. If they feel it is time to change then so be it. If it doesn’t work I guess they can always change their minds and go back to the good old ways or work out something better.
Having said that I wonder how many of our concerned readers really have a problem with the NHS. Without naming names I wonder how many subscribe for themselves and families for private medical care, and if they do, are they right in criticising what the Care Trusts are trying to achieve!
Visitors and patients at Queen Mary’s keep hoping that the second lift will soon get better. It’s been ill now for a couple of months and even the consultants are concerned that no cure has yet been discovered! Good news is that it has now finally been fixed.A hospital spokesman told the Chronicle “There was a considerable delay in completing the repair due to the age of the equipment. Parts needed to be taken off site for complicated engineering. The Trust deeply regrets the inconvenience to staff, patients and visitors during the time that only one lift was in service. A decision has been taken to invest in new lifts in this year's Capital Programme”.
Is Government encouraging benefit abuse
The government has apparently decreed that vulnerable people like alcoholics and drug dependant persons living in rented accommodation must have their benefit allowance paid directly to the tenant rather than the landlord to encourage them to have personal control over their benefits. Isn’t this rather like letting a child with a sweet tooth loose in a sweet shop!
The Chronicle spoke with a senior manager in a local council who confirmed it was not local government policy but instructions issued by the Department of Work & Pensions under a scheme called the Local Housing Allowance.
Housing departments can only pay landlords directly with a rent allowance if they receive an independent assessment. Readers comments welcomed.
GLA members pay review
Having got their feet under the table one of the first matters on the agenda for the Mayor and his elected members is their pay.
Currently the Mayor receives £179,000 a year or £490 every day and his elected members like our own James Cleverly receive £71,500 or £195 every day.
Readers might think these rewards are generous enough for the part-time spent on GLA matters. We shall let you know the outcome of their pay review.