HERE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE BEEN DOING IN THE MOST RECENT PAST AS YOUR COUNCILLOR. I REGARD THIS BLOG AS A WAY OF REPORTING BACK.

I am now into my thirteenth year as a local Councillor – where do the years go? I was first elected in 2010, having contested Sutton South Ward unsuccessfully in 2006. I was re-elected in 2014 and then again in 2018 and 2022. I spend a significant proportion of every day dealing with some aspect of my responsibilities as a Councillor, in particular local casework. My principal contribution to Sutton’s civic administration, now, is that I chair the Planning Committee.

This is my latest responsibility. Over my years as a Councillor I have had a succession of important jobs. For the two years to May 2016 I was Chair of the Planning Committee and lead member on human resources – which carried with it chairing the Council and Employees’ Joint Committee and the health and safety committee. I also sat on the important Strategy and Resources Committee. On 23 May 2016 I was elected Mayor and gave up these responsibilities to concentrate on Mayoral duties. I stood down as Mayor on 22 May 2017, a date etched on my memory as the following day my eldest daughter, Jane, was admitted to St Christopher’s hospice in Sydenham where she died shortly afterwards of a brain tumour.

Following my re-election in May 2018 I took up the post of Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee, a new committee formed by the merger of the audit committee and the standards committee. I was yet again appointed Chair of the Council and Employees Joint Committee and the health and safety committee. In May 2019 I stood down as Chair of the Audit and Governance Committee. I continued to chair the Council and Employees Joint Committee and represent the Council on the Greater London Employment Forum, which discusses employment matters in London with recognised trade unions. I was again appointed to the Planning Committee, which I used to chair, and the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, of which I was once vice-chair. After the election in 2022 I again took up the role as Chair of the Planning Committee, retaining my duties as chair of the Council and Employees Joint Committee (which has now absorbed the duties of the separate health and safety committee) and leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation to the Greater London Employment Forum.

Below are some highlights of my work, mixed in with a bit of personal information. But do have a look at the page “Who are we?” for some biographical information on who I am and what I stand for.

May 2023. The month always starts with Planning Committee, which meets on the first Wednesday. The following week end was the week end of the coronation of King Charles. There were some street parties in the Ward, but not nearly as many as there were for the Jubilee celebrations last June. I went to the party in Prior Avenue, which was a much more modest event than their Jubilee party last summer.

April 2023. The 2nd. of April was a good day. In the morning I played (cornet) with the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band at the “Norwood Feast” (a street market in Norwood). That evening I was invited to a meal to break the fast, it being Ramadan, at a mosque in Merton. The first significant Council event for me every month is the Planning Committee meeting, as this is always on the first Wednesday of the month. This month we had just two applications to consider, one relating to an industrial site in Beddington and one an application for development on the green belt in Wallington. The second of these produced an interesting pattern of party political cross-voting. My own view (that development on the green belt must be resisted) was almost undone by my own side, but with the Tories agreeing with me the application was turned down. As the Head of Planning said to me afterwards, no-one can accuse me of whipping the Liberal Democrat Councillors.

On 19 April I attended an interesting presentation on plans for the B and Q site. I regret that this store is closing. The proposals for development of the site will come to Planning Committee in the summer. On the same day there was an interesting and well-attended consultative meeting with the police. These occur every three months. The statistics show we are still a low crime area. On 24 April there was a Council meeting that debated ULEZ. Louise made an excellent speech on the problems caused by ULEZ. I had prepared a speech but did not get to make it – almost everyone wanted to get into the debate. But I made a speech moving a vote of thanks to Trish for her three years as Mayor.

March 2023. The month got off to a great start with a very successful concert by my band (The Phoenix Concert Band, in which I play second trumpet) in Redhill, to raise money for a local charity. The first week was a busy week with a Council meeting on Monday at which we agreed our budget for the coming year, and a local committee meeting on the Thursday. On Monday 13 March I attended the annual “Flag Raising” ceremony in the centre of Sutton for Commonwealth Day and on the 14th there was a meeting of the Pensions Committee. This oversees the Council’s pensions scheme.

February 2023. The first day of the month and a meeting of Planning Committee. The big issue was Victoria House in north Cheam, and at last a proposal for this building has been agreed. There seem to have been numerous proposals that have all fallen through over a long period. On 4 February I organised a “Safari Supper” for my local residents’ association and this was a great success. I am pleased with the new defibrillator outside Northumberland House in Brighton Road.

It is a busy month – on the 21st I chaired a meeting of the Council and Employees Joint Committee, where we meet representatives of recognised trade unions to discuss employment issues. On the 23rd I attended a meeting of the Greater London Employment Forum, a pan-London body that discusses employment issues with the unions, and on which I am the spokesman for the three London Liberal Democrat Councils.

January 2023. A New Year. I am being handicapped by an injury to my knee. My grandson said I suddenly seem like an old man, walking with a stick. I feel like an old man. My first commitment of 2023 was to chair Planning Committee on 4 January where we agreed an important proposal concerning the gypsy and travellers’ site at Woodmansterne. This is an important contribution to our policies in support of this community. On 11 January we had a further meeting of the Ward police panel. An increase in motor vehicle crime is of concern, though our Ward remains a generally low crime area compared to the average for outer London. On 16 January I attended the Sutton Council meeting at which we adopted our plan to deal with the climate emergency. I made a speech on this subject and have posted a report on the main site on this website. I was also able to make an important intervention emphasising our opposition to the Mayor of London’s plan to extend the ULEZ zone. On 17 January the three Ward Councillors met at the Devonshire Avenue Nature Area to discuss possible improvements to the area and in the evening attended an exhibition at Quadrant House on proposals for a change of use of the building to provide accommodation. On 27 January I attended the Holocaust Memorial Day event in the library where there were moving testimonies from people who had left as refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine. I have also attended a meeting of Mitcham Common Conservators and several to discuss applications likely to come to future Planning Committee meetings, including the application for the B and Q site.

December 2022. As we move towards Christmas there are usually fewer committee meetings. Planning Committee meeting on 7 December was almost the shortest on record, with just two items. The Pensions Committee on 13 December was by contrast depressingly long. There is usually a bit of music at Christmas. I was delighted that the concert by the Phoenix Concert Band that I played (trumpet) in at Christchurch on 9 December raised almost £600 for the Mayor’s charities. And the music was pretty good. The following day we played Christmas carols at the Second Saturday Tea at the Friends’ Meeting House, the cold weather leading to a somewhat reduced size of audience. On 14 December I went to the Christmas party of Sutton South Hello. On 19 December I led a group of musicians who played Christmas carols in the St. Nicholas Centre in Sutton and raised yet more funds for the Mayor of Sutton’s charity appeal – we have raised over £1 000 this year at the concerts of my various bands.

November 2022. My first big task of the month was to chair Planning Committee on the second. Only two planning applications before us but these generated a lot of argument. It is only the difficult applications, in general, that wind up at our committee. On the fifth, I went to the firework display in Ruskin Park. They said a new innovation was a “light and laser” show. Like most of the people standing around me in the crowd, I thought this tedious and got cold waiting for the fireworks to begin. On the eighth I went to a meeting of the Sutton South Hello board (I am a trustee of this organisation) and then to the Annual General Meeting of Sutton Neighbourhood Watch. The rest of the month has been hectic. On the 9th I went to a meeting of Sutton South Hello and then went for the first time to a meeting of the Mitcham Common Conservators, having recently being elected a conservator. On the 11th I attended the Armistice Day event in the town square. On the 12th. I went to the Second Saturday Tea at the Friends’ Meeting House. On the 13th. I went to see my grandson play rugby, played the Last Post at the war memorial in Cheam for Remembrance Sunday, and visited my parents’ grave in Arundel in Sussex. On 17 November I went to the AGM of Highfield Lawns, the only company I am a Director of. It ensures the tennis club in Mayfield Road survives. On 19 November I visited my daughter and her family in Birmingham. On 21 November there was a Council meeting where I made a speech on my concerns on planning policy. On 22 November I chaired the Council and Employees Joint Committee before going to the AGM of the Sutton South Neighbourhood Association. On 24 November I attended our local committee meeting, where the main items for discussion were traffic in local roads and the future plans for the London Cancer Hub site in Belmont. On 29 November I was delighted to attend a really interesting exhibition staged by Sutton South Hello at Honeywood in Carshalton, based on a tale I had not previously heard of (The Snow Queen) by Hans Christian Anderson.

October 2022. As the month starts, I am suffering from COVID. I was very ill for a day. After that it was like a heavy cold. But a week on I am still not back to the energy levels I usually have. However, on 5 October I attended, with Louise, the Planning Inspectorate hearing on Northumberland House. I think we made progress in getting conditions introduced that will to some degree protect the amenity of the occupiers of the building if this scheme to increase the height of the building goes ahead. On 12 October our Ward police panel met. On 16 October I was pleased to attend Evensong at Westminster Abbey at the annual event organised by the London Mayors’ Association, which I am a member of as a past Mayor. On October 21 I met residents from Lavender Court to discuss a planning application for the plot next door, and on 25 October I attended a consultation event with the developer to discuss this application. I am concerned about a planning application to add an extra storey to Magnolia Court in Grange Road. This is the third such application in the Ward in a few months. The previous day the family assembled at Brixton windmill. My late daughter Jane used to be a guide at the windmill. We discussed with a helpful man from Lambeth Council the siting of a memorial bench for Jane, who died of a brain tumour, to be installed next summer. I am still a member of the Mayor’s charity committee and attended a meeting on 26 October. On 29 October my band was a star turn at the final event of Black History Month. We played some Ellington and Basie.

September 2022. September started well with a concert at which I played the trumpet on Sunday 4th. at Canbury Gardens in Richmond, on the bandstand, given by the Allegra Concert Band. On the 7th. I joined a group visiting the Energy From Waste facility in Beddington. I had previously visited the similar plant near Heathrow airport. I am impressed by the facility which provides enough electricity to power 57 000 homes. Surely this is better than burying this stuff in the ground.

I was sorry, the following day, to learn of the death of Her Majesty the Queen, for whom I had great respect. I attended the proclamation of the new king, by Trish as our Mayor, and signed the book of condolence.

I was in Athens on the day of the Queen’s funeral, assisting my wife at an international conference on the history of science (Gloria is a retired museum curator) where she gave a paper. The month is ending badly with my suffering COVID, which up to now I had avoided.

August 2022. I chaired the Planning Committee meeting on 3 August. Council committees rarely meet in August so this was one of the few. A reasonable meeting without the grandstanding that we saw at our last meeting. We agreed an important development to build 11 units of social housing in Wallington. On the subject of planning, the three Ward Councillors went to 13 Devonshire Road on 4 August to meet developers who plan to demolish the house and build a small block of flats. A pity to see a fine Victorian house go but there is no prospect of saving this and the design of the block is of good quality. However, I am disturbed to learn that the proposal to build two extra storeys on top of Northumberland House is being revived, though rejected by the Council last time it was put forward. This could be very disruptive for the residents and create a block that looks very odd. We had a meeting with the developers on 30 August.

Many people go on holiday in August. Gloria and I are staying at home and our daughter Ellie is coming, with her family, to stay with us for her holiday. Wonderful, as I will get to see much more of my seven month old new grandson, Theo.

July 2022. On 9 July we, the three Ward Councillors, held one of our open air surgeries outside Northumberland House in Brighton Road. I am always delighted at the interaction we get with local residents, and this helps us understand what the real worries are. Right now it is the cost of living crisis.

On 18 July I made a speech on the cost of living crisis at our Council meeting, seconding a motion calling for more effort from the Government to deal with what is a real crisis, particularly for the poor. Other meetings this month have included the Council and Employees Joint Committee, where I lead the Council delegation in discussions with trade unions about employment matters. On 19 July I had unexpectedly to chair the meeting of the Greater London Employment Forum as the chair was absent. On 20 July I was disappointed at the poor attendance at the meeting of the police consultative committee for the Ward.

June 2022. The month began with the Platinum Jubilee weekend. Many street parties in the Ward. Trish, Louise and I were particularly pleased to be together at the Effingham Close party. I attended several others and was asked to judge the “Most Adorable Dog” competition at the Upland Road street party. This is a way to alienate 30 dog owners by not choosing their dog. On 8 June we had the first Planning Committee I chaired, the first with a new set of members, which went well in terms of chairmanship and orderly behaviour, though I did not myself agree with all the decisions we reached. The following evening we had the first Local Committee meeting held since the election. A first for Louise, who impressed everyone with her approach to a number of items on our agenda. June 14 was Falklands Remembrance Day and I was asked to play the Last Post at two ceremonies, one in Manor Park and one at the War Memorial in Cheam. At the end of the month Gloria and I went on a study tour (the costs of which we had to pay for, there was no subsidy) with the London Mayors’ Association, to Belgium. It is always stimulating to meet people involved in municipal administrations in other countries.

May 2022. I am delighted to have been re-elected with an increased majority and one of the highest personal votes of any successful candidates at the election held on 5 May. At the Annual Council meeting on 23 May I was elected chair of Planning Committee. This will keep me busy. On 27 May I was invited to the Cheam British Legion hall to play the Last Post at a memorial service for one of their members. I felt honoured to do this. On 30 May I attended, with Trish and Louise, the launch of the Sutton South Hello exhibition for the Platinum Jubilee at Honeywood museum.

April 2022. This is the last month before the election so I am now concentrating my energy on trying to get re-elected. This will be the fifth time I have contested Sutton South – one defeat and three victories so far. I have been a Councillor for Sutton South Ward for twelve years and during all that time it has been a split Ward with two Liberal Democrat Councillors and a Conservative, Councillor Shields. Whatever the outcome on 5 May that will not continue as we understand that Councillor Shields has done a “Chicken Run” to Cheam, a much safer Tory Ward where he doubtless thinks he is guaranteed election. So there is an indication here that he doubts his chances in Sutton South. He is leaving it to his wife to stand here. Whatever the outcome it has been a privilege to represent the residents of my Ward, where Gloria and I have lived for 34 years. I will not be adding to this page now till after the election.

March 2022. The month got off to a busy start with a meeting of the Planning Committee to discuss, inter alia, cricket pitches in Overton Park. The local committee meeting on 3 March was a strangely subdued affair for the last meeting under the current administration. Only 14 members of the public came and only a few of the community representatives. Perhaps this was because we tried out a new venue, in a church in Cheam. The final meeting of the Housing, Economy and Business committee of this term was also a quiet affair, with a report on the work of the Sutton Housing Partnership.

Two personal successes were the success of my brass band – the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band – in winning a cup in a brass band competition and a really excellent concert by the Phoenix Concert Band on 5 March, with myself on second trumpet. Highlights were our performance of an arrangement of the works of Abba, an arrangement of the music from The Phantom of the Opera and an arrangement of the music from The Lion King.

On 16 March, at the rehearsal of the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band, we played an arrangement of the Ukranian national anthem, to show our support for the citizens of Ukraine.

February 2022. The first Council committee meeting of the month that I had to attend was a meeting of Planning Committee on 2 February. Often these meetings are rowdy affairs with large groups of residents attending to express strong views on a planning application. Tonight we had three applications and they were relatively uncontroversial by the standards of the committee. One was an application to replace the block in Worcester Park destroyed by fire and we were pleased to see that this incorporated state of the art fire suppression materials to combat the risk of fire. On 7 February I attended a briefing on climate change that was, disappointingly, disrupted by the behaviour of some dissident Councillors. On 10 February I attended an interesting seminar on the transport proposals for the London Cancer Hub, in nearby Belmont. Other commitments in the month included chairing the Council and Employees Joint Committee, where Councillors meet with representatives of recognised trade unions, and attending the pan-London Greater London Employment Forum where I lead the Liberal Democrat delegation. The month ended with the final Council meeting before the election, where my main contribution was to second a vote of thanks to our Mayor, Trish.

January 2022. The year began with a trip to Birmingham to see my new grandson, Theo, born on 27 December to my daughter Ellie, in Birmingham Womens’ Hospital. A wonderful start to what will be a busy year.

My first main duty as a Councillor was to sit on an Appointments Board on 13 January to appoint a new member of the transport team. On 17 January there was the first Council meeting of 2022 and I moved a motion on poverty. This drew attention to the number of families in the Ward living in poverty and drew attention to the work of the Council to assist them. It called for the Government to restore cuts in welfare support to the poorest and for better funding of local authorities.

December 2021. The month began with a heavy day of meetings – Pension Board training, a meeting to discuss performance measures for the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, and Planning Committee, all on 1 December. On 5 December I organised a small group of musicians, myself on trumpet, to play Christmas carols at the outdoor Christmas party of the Highfield Residents’ Association. On 6 December Gloria and I went to a concert at my grandson’s school where he played the violin. On 6 December I attended the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, where we discussed a number of papers on providing more affordable housing. On 7 December I went with other Councillors to admire the Christmas lights in Trinity Square, designed by a near-neighbour, Saman Zand, who lives in Mayfield Road, opposite where I live. I had a busy day on 11 December, going to a meeting of the committee of the Friends of Oaks Park to discuss music in the park next summer, going to the Friends’ Meeting House in Cedar Road to lead a small group (myself on trumpet) playing Christmas carols, and then driving to Birmingham to see my daughter Ellie who is in the final weeks of pregnancy. On 15 December I attended the Sutton South Hello Christmas party with Trish, the Mayor, and entertained the residents of my road, The Ridgway (which is in our Ward), who had come to see our Christmas lights. On 18 December I had hoped my band would play carols in the St Nicholas Centre to raise money for the Mayor’s charities but it was called off due to the omicron panic. Christmas Day was spent with my son in law and his partner, and my grandson Ciaran. On 27 December I became a grandfather for the third time when my daughter gave birth to Theo, 7 lb 9 ounces, in the Birmingham Women’s hospital. A momentous way to end the year.

November 2021. On 2 November Trish and I attended a meeting with developers who intend to convert the former care home “Eothen” in Worcester Road into residential units. I have fond memories of visiting this care home when I was Mayor in 2016. On 4 November I attended a meeting of the Directors of Highfield Lawns Ltd., a company of which I am a Director, which exists simply to maintain the tennis courts opposite my house so people can play tennis. On 8 November I attended an interesting presentation by the police on personal safety for Councillors, following the alarming fatal attack on an MP recently. I have faced situations in which I have suffered abuse and been frightened by threatening behaviour. Over my 11 years as a Councillor behaviour has got worse, particularly behaviour on social media. On 11 November (Armistice Day) I had the honour to play the Last Post at the civic ceremony to celebrate Armistice Day in the town centre. After much thought I decided to play it on the trumpet rather than the cornet. Three days later (Remembrance Sunday) I played the Last Post at the service at Cheam war memorial. On 22 November there was the first “in person” Council meeting since early 2020. The motion I was to second on financial support to the Council was not reached and my only contribution was an exchange with Conservative Councillors about planning policy, pointing out that their proposals to emasculate public consultation on planning issues are still on the table. On 25 November there was a meeting of the local committee at which we heard a presentation on the town centre plans which I found interesting. The month ended with an interesting meeting with Sutton Housing Partnership, the organisation that manages the Council’s housing stock, and whose performance is improving.

October 2021. I attended the Mayor of Sutton’s Quiz Night on 2 October to help raise money for her charity appeal. On 8 October I attended the first “in person” meeting for over two years of the community/police consultative panel for the Ward. This was a successful meeting. On 13 October I had a meeting in Oaks Park to discuss with the chair of the Friends of Oaks Park possible initiatives relating to music in the park. On 14 October I represented the borough at a meeting of the Greater London Provincial Council, a body that discusses employment issues across London with trade unions. We discussed pay and minimum wage legislation. On 15 October I went on a “walkabout” organised by Sutton Housing Partnership to inspect Sutton Court and Beauclere House, and talk about issues raised by residents. On 19 October I attended a liaison committee with local transport operators to discuss local services. It is noteworthy that car use is well up on pre-pandemic levels so busses take longer to reach their destinations. Train usage is well down on pre-pandemic levels. On 27 October I attended a meeting of the Mayor’s Charities Committee and was pleased at the progress made in raising money for her two deserving charities.

August 2021. There are fewer Council meetings in August but on 4 August there was a meeting of the Planning Committee, the first held “in person” rather than by video since the start of the pandemic. It seemed odd to be back in the civic offices with other Councillors, without wearing a mask. On 8 August Gloria and I celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary so we had the Golden Wedding anniversary party delayed from last year due to the pandemic. Wonderful to have our two grandchildren together with us for the first time for over a year.

July. On 15 July I attended the Annual General Meeting of the London Mayors’ Association, which promotes the value of the civic Mayoralty in London. On 20 July I represented the borough at a meeting of the Greater London Employment Forum. On 21 July the Sutton South Ward Police Consultative Panel met, by Zoom. The statistics presented by the police showed that the Ward remains a low crime area, with one burglary and 37 motor vehicle related crimes (mainly theft from vehicles) in the period commencing in May. We also discussed the work of the police in relation to drugs warrants, but the most interesting discussion we had was about e-scooters. We hope to meet again in person in the autumn.

12 July. A meeting of Sutton Council at which I made what I thought was a good speech on the difficulties associated with the Government’s recent White Paper on reform of the planning system. This will, in some cases, remove the requirement to consult the local community on new planning applications. This at a time when there are proposals for two new tower blocks in Brighton Road.

26 June. The start of a brief holiday in Bournemouth with my daughter, son-in-law and our four year old granddaughter Livi.

23 June. Quite a treat. I read the New Statesman and recently they invited me to submit a short article on myself as their “Subscriber of the Week”. This was noticed by Lady Whittaker, who used to work with me at the Health and Safety Executive. She invited me to have tea with her at the Houses of Parliament, on the terrace overlooking the river. This was wonderful, particularly as I had a ticket for a (socially distanced) match at the Oval that evening so was able to go on to watch the cricket. Sadly, Surrey lost (to Somerset).

21 June. Thismorning I attended a “Raising the Flag” ceremony in the town centre, with the Mayor, for Armed Forces Day. Sadly, it rained.

15 June. A busy day with a meeting of the Council and Employees’ Joint Committee (which I chair) in the morning and of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee in the evening. A very good discussion at the CEJC on equal opportunities policies, and at HEB on the preparations for revision of the local plan.

10 June. A meeting of the Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee. A good discussion on parking and on policies to deal with fly tipping.

4 June. Every day I am involved in casework for my residents. Today there was a rather unusual issue, with one of the contractors  working on the replacement of the pavement in The Ridgway having his car ticketed by an over-zealous enforcement officer. I managed to get the fine rescinded.

3 June. I am a member of the Mayor’s Charities Committee, whose job is to raise funds for the Mayor of Sutton’s charity appeal. Last year we raised over £10 000, which was good going since all the usual money-raising events – the concerts, the dinners, the quiz evenings – were cancelled due to the pandemic. With Trish re-elected Mayor and the same two charities involved (Sutton Mental Health and Homestart Sutton), we decided the time had come after a year of ZOOM meetings to meet up in person. Which we did over an excellent lunch at the Duke’s Head in Wallington. 

2 June. This afternoon I attended, via ZOOM, a meeting of the London Mayors’ Association Forum. This is an organisation dedicated to promoting the role of the civic Mayor in London boroughs, which I am a member of by virtue of having been Mayor of Sutton in 2016-17. Here is a favourite photo from that era.

Tonight, Planning Committee. This is made more complicated as Government rules now require that the “virtual” meeting is followed by an “in person” meeting of a sub-group, to ratify the decisions of the “virtual” meeting at the “in person” meeting. There was the usual mix of straightforward and more complex applications. The most difficult concerned Seaton House school, where I was unhappy with what seemed to me action by the school to remove from their site a bowling club they had shared the site with for many years. Unfortunately the only issue for the committee was use of the building that was previously used by the bowling club and there was no way we could re-instate the bowling club to the site.

1 June. For the second time in a week I was a member of a three person sub-committee of the Licensing Committee considering a licence application. This was from Carshalton Athletic Football Club, to sell alcoholic drinks at a club at their ground. I had thought this might be complicated but it proved straightforward.

26 May. Today I was one of three members of a panel appointed by the Licensing Committee to consider an application for a licence to sell alcohol in the café in Cheam park. The applicant wanted a licence just to serve alcohol to those eating a meal, at a table, in the restaurant, at lunchtime. We agreed this, subject to conditions that limit the sale of alcohol to these circumstances.

17 May. I arranged a meeting thismorning, at which Trish joined me, at Elmhurst Lodge in Christchurch Park. I got staff from Veolia and the Council to come. We met some of the residents and the managing agents. In the recent past the record of Veolia on emptying the bins every week has been OK but there are a couple of sites where there seem to be periodic problems. One is Elmhurst Lodge. We had a useful meeting and explored the reasons for the problems. I am hoping now for an improvement plan.

12 May. The renovation of the pavement in The Ridgway has now reached my front door.

6 May. The London elections. We have doubled our representation on the London Assembly. Well done Hina Bokhari!

5 May. I have again been appointed to the Council’s Planning Committee and it met this evening. I was disappointed at the lack of urgency shown by the opposition Councillors in getting through the agenda, which meant that some items were not reached. When this happens it means some residents have been waiting patiently all evening for their item to be reached, only to be told to come back again next time. There was an interesting proposal for the development of Sutton High School for Girls, which I thought important to the quality of education of girls in Sutton.

NOTE: Going back through this narrative, a significant block below this has been deleted.

January 27. A very interesting meeting with Sutton Housing Partnership. They have taken their repair function back “in house” after a lot of problems with the contractor and it seems to be going well. They are giving their tenants a lot of support during lockdown.

November 8. Remembrance Sunday. The event at Manor Park called off. I laid a wreath at the event at the war memorial in Carshalton. I was, frankly, annoyed that a recording of the Last Post was played. I could have played it if they had asked me.

November 5. A meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee by videoconference. We are getting good at using this technology. We had our usual papers on the work of internal audit, the progress of the external auditors and the risk register. Officers have done well to cope with the disruption and requirement for new ways of working from COVID.

October 29. I attended a  meeting of the Greater London Provincial Council. I represent the borough on it. It is a joint meeting with trade unions focussed on human resources issues. We all agreed that the workforce of local authorities has done well in the pandemic, showing flexibility and adapting to new priorities and new ways of working.

October 28. I attended the meeting of the committee steering the Mayor of Sutton’s charity appeal. Trish is doing well as Mayor. She has visited all the groups of key workers serving us during the pandemic. She is a great community asset. Her appeal will not raise mega-bucks for her charities as there is so much we usually do that we cannot do. But she has done well so far. I take the minutes at these meetings – as a retired civil servant I think it is the only skill I have that the committee finds valuable.

October 7. Sutton South Hello, a friendship group for the elderly and socially isolated (on which there is a page on this website) re-opened. An enormous number of precautions to ensure a COVID-secure event were taken. We met – about twelve of the thirty plus members – in Christchurch hall. The Mayor, and I, gave a talk on how Sutton had dealt with the pandemic. The incidence rate in Sutton remains the lowest of any London borough.

September 24. A meeting of the Audit and governance Committee, held by videoconference. There was an interesting discussion of the Council’s risk register. I could not resist pointing out that if, when discussing the register a year ago, I had suggested the major risk was a global pandemic completely changing the tasks expected of local authorities, my observations would have been regarded with, at best, scepticism.

September 18. Today is my birthday. I am 74. A few weeks ago my five year old grandson was staying with us and we had to go upstairs together to fetch something. It was a day one of my knees was twinging for some reason. I struggled up to the first floor landing, put a hand on my knee, and said to him “You know, when I get old I’ll have a bit of a problem getting up these stairs.” He looked at me with absolute bafflement on his face. “But you ARE old” he said.

speech by Trish, our Mayor. I had been invited to play the Last Post but persuaded a friend, Alexandra Stanton, to do it. She is a better trumpeter than me and, with none of the bands I play for having had any concerts or rehearsals during the pandemic, I have somewhat lost confidence in my playing.

August 8. Today Gloria and I celebrated out 50th wedding anniversary, though without the big party we had planned before the pandemic struck.

April 27. My brass band cannot meet for rehearsals so we create a piece of music every week by everybody recording their own part (in my case second cornet) in their living room, using a metronome, and sending it to one person who stitches it together into a whole. This is difficult. Here is Sloop John B.

April 23. We joined in the clapping for the NHS thisevening and I played the “Fanfare for the Common Man” on my trumpet.

April 17. At 5pm thisevening there was a mass playing of the Ode to Joy, an initiative sponsored by the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain. I had downloaded the music from their website and joined in, on trumpet. My brass band (the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band – which is their second band, I am not good enough to get into the main band) is setting us homework during the lockdown. The band cannot meet for rehearsals so we have some music sent to us and have to record our part (in my case the second cornet part). We send it to a member who stitches it all together into a single piece of music. This week it is Sloop John B, an old Beach Boys number.

March 5. Three Council meetings this week. Tonight the local committee, The decisions on the parking scheme in our area were reported.

The most interesting discussion was about the railway bridge at Sutton station which is to be brightened up with a painting by the renowned artist Lionel Stanhope, whose art has brightened up many railway stations.

The façade of the railway bridge, as you come out of Sutton station and turn left, is currently a patchwork of various colours. The Council first tried to interest Network Rail in making the bridge look more attractive, over four years ago, during the “Sutton Gateway” project, which involved re-paving the area around the station and the installation of the clock opposite Sutton station.

The parapet of the bridge will require extensive cleaning and preparation before the painting can commence. Lionel Stanhope has produced a design (see picture below) which will incorporate the word “Sutton” in the typeface traditionally used by Southern railway, and a depiction of the historic Sutton locomotive. The locomotive “Sutton” came into the possession of the Council many years ago and is a 144 year old, 28 tonne, 26 feet, A1 class Terrier steam engine. It is currently with a heritage railway undertaking in Tunbridge Wells who have undertaken to restore it.

The work will be jointly funded by Network Rail and Sutton Council. The painting will be an addition to an area becoming famous for its street art. Within two hundred yards you can find the remarkable statue “The Messenger”, located directly outside the entrance to Quadrant House in The Quadrant. The Messenger is a statue, a sculpture in bronze with very dark patination, completed by David Wynne in 1981, of a large horse and rider. The horse, with a slightly raised left leg, looks towards the railway station. The rider, seated bareback, raises his left hand in the air above his head and his right hand to his mouth, as if calling. It is fully life-size and mounted on a high (7 foot) plinth of marble and granite slabs. The total height is 150 inches. It was a major commission for the sculptor. It took four years to complete from his first idea and inspiration, on receipt of the brief – through roughing out, refining and casting in a foundry, to the final unveiling and installation.

Even more striking is the remarkable mural by the famous Spanish “street” artist from Bilbao, Eva Mena, on a wall in nearby Wellesley Road. This is said to be of the American singer and musician Erykah Badu. The work was commissioned by the owners of the building, Indepth Hygiene Services. It was painted in three days in 2010, when the artist came over from Spain to paint it. It is entirely typical of her street art, which is to be found on walls in many parts of the world, including Egypt, Ireland and Spain, as well as Sutton.

March 3. Pensions Committee. Much time taken up discussing responsible investment, including how we check that the firms we invest the funds of the pension scheme in have good governance and are aware of the need to combat climate change.

March 2. A Council meeting to set the budget. The background to the budget is that over the last ten years our core central Government funding has been reduced by more than 60% in real terms and we continue to face unprecedented financial pressures. I have included my speech in a post on the main page.

February 28. A meeting to discuss the results of the parking consultation, on which there is a full report on the main website. I am pleased a clear conclusion has been arrived at. And a meeting with the Head of Devonshire Avenue school to discuss various school matters.

February 27. Gloria and I went to the exhibition on the baroque at Tate Britain. This I recommend. And we had a Ward meeting of members and supporters in the evening, which Hina Bokari came to.

February 25. A meeting of the Council and Employees Joint Committee, on which I lead for the employer’s side. It is a joint meeting with recognised trade unions to discuss employment matters. A goof discussion of health and safety.

Also a meeting of the Highfield Lawns tennis club committee. I am Welfare Officer for the club. We discussed the implications of the parking consultation and how the club will cope if there are parking controls in the area.

February 22. A good day contributing to the cultural life of Cheam by playing the trumpet for the Allegra Concert Band in a concert at Cheam Baptist church. The theme was musicals so we played the music from Porgy and Bess, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, and Les Miserables.

February 20. To a meeting of the Greater London Employment Forum, a meeting to discuss employment issues with the trade unions. The most interesting item was a discussion of ways to support women going through the menopause.

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June 6. To a very interesting training session for Councillors on emergency planning. A bit scary.

June 5. I am the Welfare Officer for the Highfields Lawn Tennis Club and the club is having its safeguarding procedures audited by the LTA. I was summoned to  a meeting with the auditor tonight, in the tennis clubhouse opposite my house. He made some useful suggestions.

June 4. Following the allocation of places on committees at the annual Council meeting, I am now on Pensions Committee. It met thisevening and heard an interesting presentation on efforts to bring together the investment strategies of different Councils.

June 3. An interesting discussion with a company proposing to launch an electric bike scheme in Sutton.

27 May. Really delighted at the results of the European election, though I was myself on a study tour in Stockholm on the day of the election, having voted by post.

Earlier this year I went on a study tour of Holland and met Councillors who are members of the Amsterdam city Council. There are 45 Councillors split between 12 parties and the largest party – the Greens – only has 8 seats. But coalition seems to work well. In Stockholm there are 102 Council members on the city Council, and by co-incidence there are 51 men and 51 women. Again the administration is a complicated coalition that seems to work well.

At the European Parliament elections, in Sutton, the LibDems polled 18 706 votes and the Tories were humiliated – 4 863 votes.

14 May. A sad event for me today. I went to South Norwood cemetery to oversee the erection of the headstone at my daughter’s grave. I like the headstone and wording.

14 May. An excellent evening playing second cornet for the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band at the Bromley music festival. We played an arrangement of Lloyd Webber’s I Don’t Know How To Love Her, arranged as a solo for the flugelhorn, and an arrangement of Queen numbers (including Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites The Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Are The Champions).

3 April A sad day as today would have been the 40th birthday of my daughter Jane had she not died of a brain tumour two years ago. This is one of my favourite memories of her, with her son Ciaran, now aged three.

28 to 31 March. Gloria and I travelled to Amsterdam to participate in the London Mayors’ Association (LMA) civic visit to Amsterdam. I had not been on one of these visits, perhaps better described as a study tour, before, and it was fascinating. The LMA is a membership organisation open to serving and past Mayors of London boroughs. There were three past Mayors of Sutton taking part – Richard Bailey, Sean Brennan and myself. We met, and had discussions with, the Mayors of Den Haag (The Hague) and of Edam and Volendam. Probably the most interesting session was with six members of the city Council of Amsterdam. They came from six different parties of the twelve parties represented on the Council. The Council has 45 members but the largest party, the Greens, only has eight Councillors. Coalition government thrives. Their pre-occupations were much as ours – social housing, austerity, coping with Government cuts, treatment of refugees, homelessness. We also enjoyed a reception at the British Embassy in Den Haag, visited a cheese factory, a porcelain factory and a clog making factory, the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam, several art galleries and the famous Keukenhof gardens – it is tulip time in Amsterdam right now. We faced a great many jokes about the chaos of Brexit – we had to agree it is deplorable. In case anyone reading this wonders who funded it, we all paid our own costs. The picture is of one of the lighter moments, when we were on a canal boat on the many waterways of Amsterdam.

23 March. This is me with my two brothers and other family members, who joined me to go on the anti-Brexit march. The march attracted a million participants. Three generations of Cliftons took part. A good day as thisevening Gloria and I went to the Mayor’s concert, featuring the Norwood Concert Band and the Show Choir.

22 March. The Brexit chaos is unbelievable. Today the “Brexit lorry” reached Sutton and I went to see it.

11 March. A ceremony in the Town Square in Sutton to raise a flag for Commonwealth Day. I am sure we used to get a bigger crowd, thinking back to the year I was Mayor.

8 March. I was asked to make the speech of welcome to new British citizens at two ceremonies at the Registrar’s Office today. I enjoy these ceremonies. I believe Britain is better for being a strongly multi-cultural society. It used to be mainly new citizens from the Indian sub-continent. Now if is mainly East Europeans settled in the UK. Today the new citizens included people from Poland, Lithuania, Albania, Macedonia, Hungary, France, Spain, Turkey, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Morocco, the Phillipines.

Thisevening, a further meeting of the Police Consultative Panel, at which staffing concerns were evident. I have posted a report on the page relating to the police and on the main site.

5 March. Gloria attended the “Ladies Lunch” organised by the Mayoress, Pauline Cook, to raise money for the Mayor’s charities. She enjoyed it. I was left at home to childmind our grandson Ciaran.

2 March. An exhausting day. In the afternoon I played the cornet for the Crystal Palace Brass Band Progress Band in the Bromley Music Festival. We won a cup! In the evening I played the trumpet for the Phoenix Concert Band at a charity event in Redhill. I think the performance went well.

1 March. Our local residents’ association, the Highfields Residents’ Association, has a monthly tea on the first Friday of each month for retired folk. This Friday Gloria and I hosted the tea. Seventeen people came, a record for us, and we almost ran out of cake. A success.

25 February. The annual Council meeting at which the budget is debated. Some very good speeches on our financial position and the challenges we face, but a meeting marred by some juvenile behaviour by the opposition.

a theme of the meeting was the difficulties that arise from the “Age of Austerity” which the Prime Minister told us was ended. The reduction in financial support was brought home to me by a paper to the Audit and Governance Committee which showed the staff of the Council fell, over a three year period to March 2018, from over 1500 to only 1000 – a massive reduction. Some of this is attributable to arrangements for joint services and to what is called outsourcing (I prefer the term privatisation), but much is a straightforward cut in numbers and cut in services, to meet the financial circumstances forced on us.

I was also shocked at some comparative figures presented to the Greater London Employment Forum last week, which showed that at March 2018 the staffing headcount for Sutton, at 1034, was lower than every single one of the other 31 London boroughs. Differences attributable to arrangements for joint services, to the extent of privatisation and to population size only account for part of this, and astonishingly all but four boroughs had at least double the Sutton headcount.

My conclusion is that we have done extraordinarily well in Sutton to cope with the reductions in funding, maintaining a balanced budget and our financial probity. There have been inevitable reductions in some services over my nine years as a Councillor that have concerned me, but we have avoided some of the actions that have so angered citizens elsewhere – such as the abandonment of meals on wheels and wholesale closures of libraries and children’s centres. We can be proud of our tight and sound financial management in conditions of great adversity, but we must also thank our staff, many of whom are going the extra mile to maintain services that they care about deeply.

9 February. My local residents’ association organises an annual “safari supper” where you have different courses of a meal in different houses in the area. Tonight 33 couple took part. Gloria and I hosted a pudding course.

Mayor of the City of Westminster, in The Strand. As a former Mayor of Sutton I get to LMA events.

10 January. A New Year and we kick off with a meeting of the Local Committee, held at the Banstead Downs Golf Club. The main decision was to replace twelve trees in the Ward that, following a survey of the 2000 or so street trees in the Ward last year, were identified as diseased and as needing to be felled. Trish and I sought and obtained funding for replacement trees to be planted. These will be:

3 in Camborne Road

2 in Devonshire Avenue

1 in Effingham Close

3 in Langley Park Road

1 in The Ridgway

2 in Upland Road

22 December. My last post before Christmas. I have done a lot of playing of carols this Christmas. For a third Saturday in December I organised a band to play carols in the St Nicholas centre in Sutton to raise money for the Mayor of Sutton’s charities. Now I am going to have a quiet Christmas, illuminated by the contact with my two grandchildren, aged 1 and 3.

15 December. I again led a group of musicians playing Christmas carols, at lunchtime, in the atrium of the St Nicholas centre in Sutton today, to raise money for the Mayor’s charity fund. As on 1 December a good mix of instruments – trumpets, flutes, clarinets, saxes, a tuba and an electric bass guitar. In the evening I turned out for the Crystal Palace Brass Band at a concert in Beckenham, this time playing the cornet. Our performance of “The Best of Queen” including Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and We Are The Champions wowed them.

13 December. My band (The Phoenix Concert Band) performed for the Mayor yet again today at the Mayor’s Christmas carol concert in St Nicholas’s church in central Sutton. We played White Christmas, Leroy Anderson’s Christmas Festival, the music from the film The Big Country, the music from the musical Hello Dolly, an arrangement of compositions by Henry Mancini (Pink Panther etc.) and the music from the Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark films. A great time was had by all and £800 raised for the Mayor’s charity fund.

12 December. To the Sutton South Hello Christmas party. Great fun. Again the dancing was led by Trish.

10 December. Today I went to see my grandson in his school nativity play, in Brixton. Wonderful

8 December. Today I played in two concerts – trumpet, with the Phoenix Concert Band in the afternoon, at the Friends’ Meeting House in Cedar Road, then cornet with the Crystal Palace Bras Band Progress Band at a concert in the evening in Peckham.

7 December. A meeting on the parking consultation at Overton Grange. Unfortunately somewhat dominated by people who had clearly been round all the meetings in different parts of the borough raising highly specific concerns about specific roads a long way from here (Robertsbridge Road, Tate Road).

4 December. A ceremony called “The Blessing of the Pumps” at the Robin Hood pub in central Sutton. My band provided some music.

The traditional “Blessing of the Pumps” service, which takes place every year at the Robin Hood pub in Robin Hood Lane in Sutton on a date close to St Nicholas’s day, was enacted again today. St Nicholas is the patron saint of innkeepers and brewers.

This service takes place in the pub every year, attended by the Mayor of Sutton, and brings a promise of good service to the pub as Christmas approaches. The service was attended by Councillor Steve Cook, the Mayor of Sutton, and the Mayoress, Mrs Pauline Cook. It was conducted by clergy from the nearby church of St Nicholas.

1 December. I led a group playing Christmas carols to raise funds for the Mayor’s charity appeal. Ten of us played for an hour in the St Nicholas centre in Sutton – three trumpets, a cornet, three flutes, a horn, a saxophone, an electric bass. We must have played twenty or more carols and raised a few hundred pounds.

29 November. The first meeting for a long time of the Sutton South Ward Police Community Panel. The summer meeting was cancelled at a late point due to it being on the evening of one of the football matches England were involved in in the World Cup. A meeting that left us feeling worried. An increase in crime, in burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles, was reported for the first time for some time. This may not be unrelated to problems of police numbers following the merger with Croydon and Bromley. There are a significant number of unfilled posts, vacancies, that the police are struggling to fill, particularly PCSOs. These are important for work on community relations. One member of staff is about to be moved to work in Croydon, though she did not request this move, and we are again losing our Dedicated Ward Officer. Kellie Heath is also being moved to Croydon.

These meetings are not well advertised and poorly attended. Not even the Chairman turned up this time. A re-think is needed.

November 27. Trish and I visited Devonshire primary school and were shown round by the head, Fiona Oastler. Very impressive. A very different school from when my children were there in the 1990s.I noticed today that the tree pruning exercise for the Ward is well underway. I took this photo in Downside Road.

November 25. A good start to Christmas carol playing activities when I joined, on trumpet, a gang of brass players on Victoria station, to raise money for charity. Some of them played from 11 am till knocking off at 5pm, with a few breaks. Two hours of playing was enough for me – my lip was knackered.

November 12. A Council meeting. One of the few at which I was not called on to make an intervention. A pity that the business was so prolonged that there was hardly any discussion of the interesting motion on bullying.

November 11. Remembrance Sunday. I was called in at short notice to play the Last Post at the service at the Manor Park war memorial. Heavy rain, so spent the afternoon unblocking the drains in Grange Vale and Cedar Road.

November 10. Played the trumpet with the Phoenix Concert Band at St Barnabas church for a Remembrance weekend event. A lovely service – we played all the traditional pieces such as Nimrod and Abide With Me, and some more unusual First World War songs such as Keep The Home Fires Burning and Mademoiselle from Armentières.

November 1. As I am in my seventies I am entitled to a flu jab. I am seeking advice on winter flu via this website.

October 29. I attended a meeting of the Highfields Residents’ Association to discuss a planning issue, the conversion of a house in Mayfield Road into a care home. The meeting concentrated on clarifying the policy of the Association on such matters. I have arranged for the application to be considered by Planning Committee.

I met my brother, who is ten years older than me, so 82, and we marched together. He was not up to doing the whole march so we joined it at Trafalgar Square. Some good speeches. Peter is a Labour Party member (as I used to be) and finds the indecision of the Labour Party on Brexit troubling.

October 18. A meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee, which I chair. The most interesting paper we considered thisevening was one on workforce – the employees of Sutton Council – data, including material on the gender pay gap at Sutton Council. At the median, women are paid more than men. The most staggering statistic was one that showed that the number of employees of the Council has fallen over a period of three years from about 1700 to about 1000, due to austerity and privatisation.

October 16. A have volunteered to be “Welfare Officer” for the tennis club opposite where I live. I found this means I have to have a DBS check (now completed) and attend a course on safeguarding. Thisevening I went to the course, at Banstead Downs Lawn Tennis Club. It was very interesting and illuminating.

October 14. Gloria and I went to Westminster Abbey for the annual “Day of Dedication” celebration of evensong attended by the Mayors of the 32 London boroughs, robed, with their maces and macebearers. A splendid sight. I get invited to this as a past Mayor.

October 12. An interesting meeting with Trish, Council officers and local residents to discuss the potential for flooding at the bottom of Downside Road. There are hills (Banstead Road South and Downside Road) that all “pond” at a dip at the bottom of Downside Road. It would need a massive storm to cause a flood, though it seems that this has sometimes happened in recent years. Global warming? Officers suggested some flood alleviation measures.

October 9. I attended the hearing of the Licensing Committee to consider the latest application for variation of his licence by the owner of the Noor Jahan bar. Although a Ward Councillor, I was not allowed to speak at the hearing. Some very odd procedural rules.

y Councillor McManus resigned a few months after standing for election. We have a good candidate, Dean Juster

S

This is Gloria and myself standing outside the house of Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangdon (Rangoon).

Here’s a nice picture of my daughter Ellie and her husband Jeff.