OFTEN I think I am wasting my time as issues raised are just forgotten or totally ignored by the powers that be when I believe they should be doing something to rectify matters.
But I have had one or two successes of late which gives me hope to keep pressing and pressing and pressing on your behalf.
Let us first turn to the question of the parking concession for those who are over 60, which had been the norm in this part
of the world for a numbers of years but was suddenly withdrawn, without discussion, by our new authority based in the County Hall.
Pensioners in Berwick, Alnwick and Morpeth districts were being penalised while those in the south of the county pay no charges at all.
However, after it had been raised by the Gazette, things rapidly changed, thanks to the huge outcry and work by local councillors.
You could tell how much it was appreciated, I am told, that there were queues in the Alnwick Customer Service Centre as pensioners waited for this concessionary ticket after the decision had been reversed.
Next year we look forward to those in the former Wansbeck and Blyth areas paying parking charges like we have to do or, like them, we get free parking for all.
The second victory has been over holes in the main A1 road.
Now many will think this is a trivial problem when faced with all the others in this economic black hole we seem to find ourselves in, but it is not.
Thousands of people are travelling this road daily, swerving to avoid potholes and not keeping a straight line which, as my old driving instructor used to say, should keep you out of trouble.
There is also the impression that the A1 must give to the motorists who pass through the county – that they are in a third world country.
The other evening, while travelling down to Morpeth, I thought the road appeared to be much smoother than usual in certain places.
My passenger was quick to point out that the road had been patched.
So, on the way back, we counted a very small stretch of the northbound A1 between the entrance to Bockenfield airfield and the turn off to Longframlington.
And, we believe – subject to correction – that there were a total of 36 to 40 different patches.
Now this was on a stretch of road which at the most would be about four tenths of a mile.
Think of the other parts of the road and think how bad it was.
I congratulate who ever carried out the work, it appears to be first class.
We should never be hearing the rather lame excuse that the wrong materials were used in previous patching, as has been trotted out recently.
So keep up the good work and keep patching.
