It may be that with everything going on at the moment a review of the conference is maybe not too interesting so we will just precis the final 2 days.
On Tuesday evening Keith & Sue attended a reception at the offices of Groundwork UK who are benefitting from M & S' decision to charge for plastic bags. This has led to an 80% drop in bag use but all the profits are going to Groundwork. Keith spent the evening telling anyone who would listen about the Forestdale Community Park in the hope of getting them interested as the project cost is up around the £1million mark. We met Caroline Spellman there and have a pic to prove it.
Wednesday's speech by David Cameron was very well received. Symphony Hall was packed and looked amazing.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
Day 2
George Osborne made an unscheduled speech about the economy during the morning session which emphasised the importance of us all pulling together to get us out of the economic mess we seem to have fallen into. Later Keely made an appearance on the stage talking about the problems ordinary people are encountering. She followed up with a plea for the government to simplify things for people instead of making everything so complicated. This brought a huge response from the hall.
Of course the conference is not just about the events in the main hall. There is a break from 12.30 until 2.30 and there are masses of fringe meetings going on. You dash from one to the other, hoping to get some food but not always succeeding. We all break apart for these 2 hours and join up for the afternoon session. We all have different interests and attend different meeting. Some meetings start at 7.30am as well and hopefully you can get a bacon butty for breakfast. The events also go on during the evening so it is a very long day. That is why you sometimes see people catching a few zzz'ees in the hall, its not boredom, its sheer exhaustion.
That evening Keith & Sue went to the Chairman's Reception and later attended a reception by the Indian High Commissioner at which Dominic Grieves made a speech.
The pictures show Sue with Alan Duncan at the Chairman's Reception and then Domimic listening to the IHC.
Of course the conference is not just about the events in the main hall. There is a break from 12.30 until 2.30 and there are masses of fringe meetings going on. You dash from one to the other, hoping to get some food but not always succeeding. We all break apart for these 2 hours and join up for the afternoon session. We all have different interests and attend different meeting. Some meetings start at 7.30am as well and hopefully you can get a bacon butty for breakfast. The events also go on during the evening so it is a very long day. That is why you sometimes see people catching a few zzz'ees in the hall, its not boredom, its sheer exhaustion.
That evening Keith & Sue went to the Chairman's Reception and later attended a reception by the Indian High Commissioner at which Dominic Grieves made a speech.
The pictures show Sue with Alan Duncan at the Chairman's Reception and then Domimic listening to the IHC.
Conference Day 1
The first day of the conference went very well, firstly a greeting from Caroline Spelman and advice not to take a general election victory for granted, as if! Here in Northfield we take nothing for granted, if the polls suggested a landslide we will still be on the doorsteps until 10pm on polling day. William Hague followed and hammered Brown mercilessly. Especially turning Brown's comments about "the age of irresponsibility" around against him.
Various people then did a "Welcome to Birmingham" section. David Willetts was very good, we didn't realise he was a Brummie. Karen Brady did a spot, very good also but she could do with a little more length on the skirt. Mark Reeves also came on and managed to include a plug for the Post and the Mail, very clever. Monica Hardie, the wife of Dr Andrew Hardie from Selly Oak also made an impassioned speech about the NHS. She should know as she is a nurse. The afternoon started with an unscheduled speech by David Cameron about the state of the economy, not for the faint-hearted. We then had a turn from Boris Johnson. What a performer, one minute he has you in stitches the next he becomes deadly serious especially when dealing with knife and gun crime in the capitol. Later there was a very moving session about supporting our armed forces which included Simon Weston.
That evening Sue and Keith & Ken attended the opening of the Urban Hub at Baskerville House. A wide range of invitees heard from Mike Whitby and Eric Pickles.
Various people then did a "Welcome to Birmingham" section. David Willetts was very good, we didn't realise he was a Brummie. Karen Brady did a spot, very good also but she could do with a little more length on the skirt. Mark Reeves also came on and managed to include a plug for the Post and the Mail, very clever. Monica Hardie, the wife of Dr Andrew Hardie from Selly Oak also made an impassioned speech about the NHS. She should know as she is a nurse. The afternoon started with an unscheduled speech by David Cameron about the state of the economy, not for the faint-hearted. We then had a turn from Boris Johnson. What a performer, one minute he has you in stitches the next he becomes deadly serious especially when dealing with knife and gun crime in the capitol. Later there was a very moving session about supporting our armed forces which included Simon Weston.
That evening Sue and Keith & Ken attended the opening of the Urban Hub at Baskerville House. A wide range of invitees heard from Mike Whitby and Eric Pickles.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Catch up
On Thursday after the Fusiliers marched through the town Keith went to a meeting of the South Birmingham Young Homeless Project. This operates in a former Council Depot in Belton Grove and does a lot of fine work for young homeless people from all over the South of the city. They not only help with accomodation but work with youngsters to resolve problems with parents as well as starter packs and advice when they do find somewhere to live.
Afterwards all 3 of us where at the Longbridge Consultative Group at the Innovation Centre. The main topic of conversation was the Examination In Public which gets underway on the 14th October.
On Friday Sue was working all day at Birmingham University Medical School for Freshers Day. She was helping out her colleaques from the BMA. Sue only does the occassional stint these days but always enjoys herself.
Ken & Keith went to a MacMillan Coffee Morning at the Reaside Centre, Ken then went off to work whilst Keith went into the Council House to visit the Lord Mayor's Parlour for another MacMillan cup of coffee. He met one of his constituents and had a long conversation about Longbridge.
Saturday morning was another busy day, Keith had to go to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital for their AGM so Ken did the advice centre at the Parish Council offices in Frankley. A word of thanks to the PC. They let us use the offices free of charge and of course someone has to turn up to open and close the office. Their time is freely given and we hope the residents appreciate all they do.
Keith was at the ROH as a member of the Members Council. It has been another successful year for the Trust which has gone from strength to strength under the chairmanship of Councillor Les Lawrence. Les stands down this month and we wish his successor all the best.
Later Keith went to the ICC for the Conservative Party National Convention of which he is a member through his chairmanship of the Northfield Association. David Cameron turned up at the end and made a speech which was very well received and sent us off in good heart. Keith managed to have a conversation with Michael Ashcroft afterwards and who knows we may get some more funding for Keely.
Afterwards all 3 of us where at the Longbridge Consultative Group at the Innovation Centre. The main topic of conversation was the Examination In Public which gets underway on the 14th October.
On Friday Sue was working all day at Birmingham University Medical School for Freshers Day. She was helping out her colleaques from the BMA. Sue only does the occassional stint these days but always enjoys herself.
Ken & Keith went to a MacMillan Coffee Morning at the Reaside Centre, Ken then went off to work whilst Keith went into the Council House to visit the Lord Mayor's Parlour for another MacMillan cup of coffee. He met one of his constituents and had a long conversation about Longbridge.
Saturday morning was another busy day, Keith had to go to The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital for their AGM so Ken did the advice centre at the Parish Council offices in Frankley. A word of thanks to the PC. They let us use the offices free of charge and of course someone has to turn up to open and close the office. Their time is freely given and we hope the residents appreciate all they do.
Keith was at the ROH as a member of the Members Council. It has been another successful year for the Trust which has gone from strength to strength under the chairmanship of Councillor Les Lawrence. Les stands down this month and we wish his successor all the best.
Later Keith went to the ICC for the Conservative Party National Convention of which he is a member through his chairmanship of the Northfield Association. David Cameron turned up at the end and made a speech which was very well received and sent us off in good heart. Keith managed to have a conversation with Michael Ashcroft afterwards and who knows we may get some more funding for Keely.
All change
We've decided to ring the changes on the site, hope you like them.
One of the reasons was that Paul Dale of the Post got a little confused about whose blog it is. The heading in the "about us" section said Keith Barton so we have changed that to reflect the true nature of the blog in that it is written by and about all 3 of us. That is why it is written in the 3rd person. It would be confusing if all 3 of us wrote I when we contributed an article so we just stick to the 3rd person.
Before we get on to last weeks Conference Sue and Keith bumped into Paul at the East & West Midlands Reception together with his editor Mark Reeves, more of whom later. A third of the previous Saturday's Iron Angle had been devoted to Keith and his blog so he thanked Paul for all the publicity, that always throws them.
As you will see Paul was a little apprehensive at first but soon cheered up after he and Keith kissed and made up, well a manly handshake was exchanged anyway.
One of the reasons was that Paul Dale of the Post got a little confused about whose blog it is. The heading in the "about us" section said Keith Barton so we have changed that to reflect the true nature of the blog in that it is written by and about all 3 of us. That is why it is written in the 3rd person. It would be confusing if all 3 of us wrote I when we contributed an article so we just stick to the 3rd person.
Before we get on to last weeks Conference Sue and Keith bumped into Paul at the East & West Midlands Reception together with his editor Mark Reeves, more of whom later. A third of the previous Saturday's Iron Angle had been devoted to Keith and his blog so he thanked Paul for all the publicity, that always throws them.
As you will see Paul was a little apprehensive at first but soon cheered up after he and Keith kissed and made up, well a manly handshake was exchanged anyway.
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