TIME TO GO FORWARD

Les postulates the need to move forward, whether the Pump, Business or sports clubs; the option is failure.

I have been reading a letter in the Methwold Times written by a previous Editor who poses the question, "Does Methwold deserve a Newsletter?" The reason for his question comes about because it seems that he and two others, are the only regular contributors, whereas everyone else doesn't appear to take a blind bit of notice,

I was interested in all of this because I ask myself the question, "Why do I regularly contribute to the Village Pump and not to my own Village Newsletter? What was so special about the Pump?"

The reasons are I think that the Pump travels down the same road as I do. For example, it charges, so if you want to read it you pay for it, well unless of course you get a touch of the meanies and borrow a copy from Mother or someone, which I understand does happen. I work on the principle that if you want something you should pay for it, to put so much work in to producing something and then give it away to me doesn't add up.

As we all know the Pump covers not just one village but six, and to me that too makes sense. The days when a village could isolate itself from others has long gone. Years ago, a village football team for example consisted of players most of whom were born in the village, the rest lived there; today three quarters of the team may well be from nearby villages, something unheard of years ago.

I have always taken the view that every activity, sports club or whatever is a business and should be run as such. Any business doesn't stand still it; either goes forward or backwards and if you find it difficult to realise that you can't remain as you are that changes are inevitable then you are in trouble.

The Pump is fortunate that at present it has an Editor who is not just a charming person, but a most efficient Editor as well. What would be the position if he decided to "move on", or do we say we will worry about that when the time comes? We must not delude ourselves that first class Editors grow on trees.

One of the things that always interest me is that all of our major companies had such a humble beginning, Norwich Union was I believe started by one man, a Mr Bignold, I think, Tesco's a market stall in London, Rolls Royce, just two men, the Halifax Building Society in the front room of a terrace house, and so on. So where does all of this leave our Village Pump? Again we must not delude ourselves that's its only a village newsletter and will always remain so, it won't; it will either fold or it will "move forward". Some 50 years from now it will either be a memory to our present young folk, or it could be challenging the Lynn News, the Eastern Daily Press, or more.

Will it happen? Well yes if you have ambition and if you haven't got that, then why are you here?

Les Lawrence