Update 2009 No. 3
Published 4th September 2009
Dear Summerway Friend,
Months have passed since the last update. It’s not the result of inactivity. Quite the reverse. So much has been happening that time has been at a premium. Here are a few points worth noting.
• Summer Sessions. Dave and Laurie have been helping me throughout the season at Summerway. We manage without the net when the weather is iffy, but the youngsters still happily hit balls. Seventeen joined us on Tuesday evening, and played until nearly 8 o’clock. The nights are drawing in noticeably and are becoming cooler so, with no clubhouse, tennis is nearly over for 2009.
• Freedom of Information. We have made progress in the last three years, but still haven’t penetrated the fog of council processes and identified those responsible for clobbering tennis at Summerway. I have applied to both Devon and Exeter Councils for information regarding the footpath/cycle track linking Pinhoe Road and Willow Way. As neither council responded with appropriate documents, this is an ongoing Freedom of Information investigation. Either I haven’t made my request clearly enough, or there is reluctance to release specific information.
• YouTube Videos. Progress on the fifth video adding impact to the clubhouse demolition has been slower than hoped. I thoroughly enjoy making them, but have been working hard on other aspects of the campaign. All our first four videos have been viewed more than two thousand times each, and the grand total of viewings is over ten thousand. This is the way to spread the word nowadays!
• The Website. Popular as ever, the number of downloaded pages is also in five figures.
During one 24-
• Publicity. My articles submitted to The Voice of Exeter were all published, and I also placed an advertisement in August. I now carry coloured, laminated miniatures of the advert in my shirt pocket, and present them individually to all the nice people I meet. I find most shop assistants very friendly. The headline of a recent Western Morning News was “The Age of the Child Criminal” – right up our street! I posted a comment and submitted a letter which may be published. If you take this paper, watch out for it. Until the WMN pulls it, you can view the article online at their website. (view article)
• Quick Pick Stick. One of the problems with the tennis courts being made public is a resultant lack of protection from vandals. A gang targeting our equipment invaded the courts at the end of a session at the beginning of June. A teenage boy shattered one of our quick pick sticks (a special tube used to pick up balls). We reported this deliberate criminal damage to the police. There were three adults willing to give good evidence, but when no witness statements were taken after three weeks, I lodged a complaint. No wonder these gangs, lacking restraint and deterrents, cause fear and damage.
• Political. The Summerway Campaign is certainly political, but not party political. All we are seeking is that whoever governs, does so in everyone’s best interests. I have kept Ben Bradshaw, Exeter’s MP, informed of major issues. My latest email drew attention to my complaint to the police and the WMN article. The email was copied to Hannah Foster, a helpful parliamentary candidate.
• Councilcentric or Citizencentric? I have observed all but one of this year’s full City Council meetings in the Guildhall, which have proved very enlightening. I can now identify most participants, and guess where they sit on the C/C spectrum. I hope to observe some committees over the winter.
Thank you for your patience and interest if you have worked your way through this update. I wish you and your loved ones the very best of health and, like me, enjoyment of a rich and truly satisfying life.
Warmest regards,
Jim.