• Watch out! Thos little poisoned arrows of lurrve are on the way! Learn how to draw cupid in this video.

  • Well! It seems Mark Harper’s website is down again, although he said he would put relevant imformation on there for us, when he met us, his constituents, at the Main Place, in Coleford last night.

    We have been waiting for our MP to come and tell us why he wishes to sell off Forestry and put the future of the Forest of Dean in peril. We’ve been waiting about three months! He’s refused to visit the Forest or speak to his constituents in that time, other than to call us liars and left-wing rabble-rousers! This is the man who we trusted to have the best interests of the Forest of Dean at the forefront of his duties as an MP. As the Minister for Political and Constitutional Reform, he seems to have a conflict of interest and as such, appears to be taking his career far more seriously than his constituents.

    He called a public consultation meeting last night, at 24 hours notice! Anyone with a little public relations awareness would immediately recognise the tactic – hold a meeting in a small venue and keep two thirds of the audience outside, in the dark and rain. Kettle the rest inside, in a hot, steamy, airless room (there was air conditioning available) make sure the PA doesn’t work, so no one can hear you, intimidate them with a huge police presence and then accuse your audience of being unreasonable. Brilliant! The man is a genius at organisation.

    I gather this morning, Mark Harper claimed the crowd was violent. If it was, I didn’t see it. He had to make a run for it at the end, followed by a baying crowd. He may well have been scared, but he ad every right to be. He brought it all on himself.

    The crowd outside taped their poles together so they could make their placards visible in the first story windows.

    Councillor Thornton shocked the audience with his crass introduction – actually suggesting we get hearing aids if we wanted to hear what Mark Harper had to say. After being asked several times who he was – he finally introduced himself about half an hour in to the proceedings.

    Almost in audibly, MR Harper laid out his wares and said that he had always said the Forest is not for sale. That he had always spoken the truth. So he did. He forgot to mention that the Forest will be up for lease. The thin end of the wedge. His style is dry to point of sending you to sleep. He repeated himself again and again as if a mantra can become reality with enough repetition.

    All the way through the “consultation” he never once let us know what was wrong with the Forestry Commission or the status quo. In fact, in the Consultation document. Maintaining the status quo is not an option to support. My main concern is just how Mr Harper define the Forest of Dean. I’m pretty sure his definition will not be same as his constituents. I shall look forward to perusing the map.

    After last night, I think Mark Harper needs to be looking for a new Constituency. But then, I assume a safe seat has been lined up already, as a prize for the job he is doing.

    Meanwhile, the Forest of Dean seems to be without representation in Parliament.

  • Today was the Gloucestershire Libraries’ Day of Celebration and loads of authors were out and about celebrating the wonderful work our libraries and librarians do. This is a terrible picture of my friend John Dougherty, who had his audience in Cinderford Library in thrall when I got there, reading poems, telling stories and singing songs in his easy, inspiring style.

    John was the “Flying Author” for the day, zooming around, visiting nine libraries across the county. Well done, John. It was great to see you again.

    I spent the morning at Mitcheldean Library, telling stories and doing drawings with the children before John got there too. I followed him in Cinderford, telling stories and drawing again. We had great fun and hopefully spread the message that Libraries are great places that should be kept as the focal centres of culture and knowledge.

    It was great also to see the illustrator Kate Sheppard, who had come along with her family to join in the fun and support Cinderford Library which, thankfully, has been reprieved, although it has been downgraded to an “Express” library, with fewer opening hours.

    Well done everyone for organising such a great day.

    It’s a shame that Gloucester County Council are so ashamed of their libraries, that they decreed a blanket ban on the media showing what a wonderful job their staff do and how much their constituents love their libraries – politics eh? There never seems to be any logic to it.