Following on....

..from my last blog, I've no doubt that many will ask why I've suddenly reappeared on the blog scene after so long, and what is my purpose in doing so.
A simple answer would be 'to ask YOU a question', but it's more involved than that, and I'll try to explain why.
It's always been my aim in life to look at events from a 'common sense' perspective where if it fits, it's logical and it's 'do-able' then I'll I'll do it, one way or another.
This works very well with engineering, mechanics and other disciplines; however when the human element is factored into local issues and problems, then the line becomes somewhat less clear - different people have different views, and that is where the element of that much over-used word "community" comes into the equation.
All the major issues that we in Elmdon faced during my time as a local councillor fell into the 'personal opinion' category where a solution that suited one resident didn't necessarily suit another; in all of those big issues, I "led from the sidelines" by organising residents into a coherent, self-sufficient group that put individual wish-lists to one side in favour of presenting a unified front to resolve their problems.
Similarly, when locals around the Harvester pub complained about noise and nuisance, I organised quarterly meetings at the pub so that any resident with a problem could air their views directly to the management - and to others - without fear or favour; this had the effect of both sides seeing a common point of view, and most of the problems were resolved without any further animosity.
The instances of this approach are endless, but the outcomes were nearly always positive.

That however is part of the history of my Civic past; okay, it's been four years since I went into the wilderness, but now with a new lady by my side and my fires ablaze once more, I feel it's high time that I raised my game and put myself forward for re-election to Elmdon ward next year.

Many local people have asked me if I have given it much thought over the past couple of years, and despite slight misgivings I have to say that I'm well up for it; the question is, are you, the good people of Elmdon ward, prepared to give me the support I need to get back onto the Council and fight your corner?
THAT is the question I'm asking - now the answers are up to you.

Take care.

I'm finally beginning to emerge....

...from what seemed to be a bad dream - a sort of limbo that had no avenue of escape, not even in sleep.
One day merged into the next, then the weeks went by almost unnoticed; I carried on as normal with the usual routine of shopping, washing, keeping the house clean and tidy, and carried on with my outside duties at Coppice School and the Hatchford Brook Youth Centre.
Despite this semblance of normal life, somehow I felt detached - almost as if I was outside looking inwards, rather than vice versa, and somehow felt totally apathetic towards all those issues that I fought both for and against as a local Councillor; the fire had gone, and I felt myself drifting along with no real direction.
One of the principal causes of this, looking back, wasn't only Hilary's traumatic demise, although that was certainly a factor; what did strike hard was the fact that for the previous ten years I'd led pretty much three discrete lives, one as a husband and father, one as a professional mechanic and another as Elmdon's outspoken voice at Solihull Council. During all that time I'd been super-busy, frequently clocking up over seventy hours a week.
Suddenly all that was gone; my health was failing slowly, the pillar of my life had died and my job disappeared with the 2008 financial metdown; almost to add injury to insult, I suffered a minor stroke just before Christmas that had significant effects on my right side, which essentially sidelined me from jobhunting for several months.
During the course of the investigation into that event, a CT scan showed extensive previous damage to the area around the base of the central cortex; looking back, this was the result of being too close to the discharge of a naval 4.5 inch gun that went off less than twenty feet above my head, back in 1969.
Now that the consultants knew what they were looking at, they had me put on a medication regime that so far has been reasonably successful; motor response is back to normal, as is my hand/eye co-ordination.
Psychologically, the improvement in my medical condition has made an enormous difference to the way I look at the world - as my frequent letters in the local press bear witness!
Please look at the next blog along to learn what the future may hold, both for me and for you as Solihull residents!