Campaigning in Langton Green. From left: Ed Hastie, Julia Soyke, William Rutherford,
Catherine Mayhew, Nicholas Rogers, Greg Clark MP and Julian Stanyer (AK taking photo!)
Catherine Mayhew, Nicholas Rogers, Greg Clark MP and Julian Stanyer (AK taking photo!)
I left home at 8am today to join ten (Mad Dogs and Englishmen - and women) who were out in the blistering heat campaigning in the lovely Langton Green area of Tunbridge Wells, along with the local ward councillors Julian Stanyer and Julia Soyke and MP, Greg Clark. Greg had to pop off during the session as he was "official invigilator" at the Rusthall (neighbouring village's) attempt to break the World Record for the number of people simultaneously making sandwiches. Sadly, the record was not broken, but a lot of money was raised for the local Hospice in the Weald.
We were trialling our new local issues survey, with laminated show cards and our new swish "reply card" with perforated reply paid questionnaire with self gummed edges! Very radical for TWCA.
The new-style survey, whilst taking longer on each doorstep, proved popular with residents and campaigners alike - even the less enthusiastic members of the team were won-over quite quickly.
Today provided two examples of how difficult it is now to deliver any form of service or improvement which is universally popular. I was canvassing along one semi-rural road which had no streetlights. One resident said she would feel safer if there were lights, whilst another said how awful it would be if lights were installed as it would encourage drivers taking a shortcut and ruin the semi rural ambiance. At another door a lady was complaining about the proposed expansion of the primary school as there was already too much traffic and congestion whilst three doors away a young mum hoped the school would expand soon as she was concerned her own 3 yo child might not get a place.
En route home I popped in to the Sherwood Branch Afternoon Tea, visited the Association Treasurer, dropped the canvassing supplies back at the office, finally meeting up with my long-suffering partner at 5pm, nine hours after I left home - (I do love my day off!)
Random Tweet of the day award:
Is it acceptable to wear shorts to go canvassing? @Andrew__Kennedy will know... #ActivistProblems
— Mario Creatura (@MarioCreatura) July 13, 2013
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